95% of COVID-19 patients show no symptoms in Karachi

The Aga Khan University’s (AKU) researchers have discovered in a study that 95 percent of those who had tested positive for Covid-19 through blood tests, which register the presence of antibodies to fight the disease, were asymptomatic.

The study saw AKU faculty investigate virus prevalence in parts of the city – which has reported the most cases in Pakistan to date – with high and low rates of transmission of the pandemic from April and June.

The research report, prepared in collaboration with US-based international collaborators Dr. Bailey Fosdick and Dr. Daniel Barremore, noted that “the proportion of asymptomatic cases in Pakistan is much higher than in the developed world”.

Since asymptomatic people do not seek hospital treatment this may help explain why Pakistan’s hospitals have not been under the same burden as in other developed countries of the world like Spain and the UK.

In addition, the study also suggested that children and adolescents are just as likely to contract the virus as adults, and men and women face the same perils of being infected from the contagious disease.

Earlier, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb confirmed Khaqan had been diagnosed with the virus, adding that he had quarantined himself at home.

Shehbaz Sharif extended well wishes for Abbasi’s health, saying that the PML-N’s vice president was a “valuable asset of the party”. Sharif also expressed concern over the growing number of coronavirus cases in the country.

Later in the day, a statement issued by the Railways ministry confirmed that Sheikh Rasheed had also been infected, adding that the minister was not experiencing any symptoms. The statement said Rasheed had gone into self-isolation at home for two weeks, as per recommendations by doctors.

Later, the minister took to Twitter to say he had tested positive for the virus. He maintained that he was not showing any symptoms and was “fine”.