2 flights from China reached Pakistan carrying passengers

After the government resumed air operations in China, 2 flights carrying passengers reached Pakistan.

It should be noted that after the World Health Organization declared the Corona virus as a global emergency, Pakistan immediately suspended its flights with China till February 2.

In this regard, while talking to the British news agency Reuters, Senior Joint Secretary of Aviation Abdul Sattar Khokhar said that ‘We are restoring our air operations with China. It will land at Abad International Airport.

Later, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr. Zafar Mirza confirmed that after the resumption of flights, 2 flights from China have brought Pakistani passengers.

In his message on the social networking website, he said that I along with the Chinese diplomat in Pakistan received the passengers coming to Pakistan from China, which included 57 Pakistanis and 12 Chinese citizens.

On this occasion, he also reviewed the passenger screening arrangements at the airport.

He said that the screening system at all airports has been improved and the government is ready for emergencies.

Dr. Zafar Mirza said that ‘National Health Institute has the facility to diagnose possible corona virus cases’.

The first flight was of Qatar Airlines which arrived from Doha and had 40 students on board. Health department staff conducted a medical examination at Islamabad Airport after which they were allowed to go home.

The second flight was of Chinese Sudar Airline in which 69 passengers including 57 Pakistanis and 12 Chinese arrived in Pakistan.

The flight included a group of Pakistani students and others who were stuck at Urumqi airport due to the suspension of flights, after which the validity of their visas was extended by 11 days.

Screening kits

It should be noted that a day ago, the Pakistani government received 1,000 kits for the diagnosis of corona virus from China.

In this regard, the head of the NIH laboratory, Dr. Muhammad Salman, said that the samples collected across the country will be sent to the NIH for testing, where it will be tested and we have established a formal procedure for it. It has also been formulated.

He had said that no details were given regarding the time required for the results of the test, while the results of the PCR test usually come in 8 to 12 hours, but in case of any mistake, the test can be repeated. which may take another 12 hours’.

Dr. Mohammad Salman had said that after an evaluation, the NIH is expected to be fully operational for coronavirus tests by Tuesday and these tests will be done free of charge.

After which the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Health Dr. Zafar Mirza told Dawn that thousands of testing kits were arranged from various sources.

He said, “As soon as we got the kits, we decided to test all the 7 suspected patients who were kept in the isolation ward in hospitals in Karachi, Multan and other cities. Fortunately, the test results of all the seven patients were positive.” It came negative, from which we can say that this virus has not come in Pakistan so far.

He said that ‘testing kits will be provided wherever required, the National Institute of Health has now become self-sufficient in the diagnosis of this virus’.

Previously, samples were sent abroad to confirm suspected patients for NCV.

Apart from this, the World Health Organization Pakistan has also provided laboratory equipment and technical support to the management of novel coronavirus cases at the federal and provincial levels.

The situation in China

It should be noted that the death toll from the deadly corona virus in China has exceeded 360, which is more than the number of deaths caused by the SARS virus 2 decades ago.

A total of 774 people died from the SARS virus, but most of the deaths occurred in Hong Kong.

Among the dead, dozens of people died at Ground Zero, a quarantined area in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak.

In view of the threat of the said virus, many countries had banned travelers coming from China, but this epidemic has spread to 24 countries of the world.

What is Corona Virus?

Corona viruses are classified as part of the genus Coronaviridae, and appear under the microscope as pointed rings, and are named corona because of the pointy appearance of a halo around its viral envelope. make

Corona viruses have a single strand of RNA and cannot multiply until they enter living cells and gain control over its functions. Just like blowing up a door with explosives to make way inside.

Once inside, they turn the cell into a virus factory and use the molecular chain to make more viruses and then move them to other locations, meaning the virus infects other cells and This series continues.

Typically, such viruses are found in animals, including cattle, pets, and wildlife such as bats, and when transmitted to humans, they cause fever, respiratory tract infections, and pulmonary edema. .

In people with weakened immune systems, such as the elderly or HIV/AIDS patients, these viruses can cause serious respiratory diseases.