Health dept breaks silence on Karachi 'COVID' deaths

KARACHI: The Sindh Health Department has dismissed reports claiming four deaths due to COVID-19 in Karachi, ARY News reported on Saturday.

According to the department’s spokesperson, all four deceased patients were over 60 years old and suffered from pre-existing medical conditions, clarifying that the fatalities were not caused by the virus. The patients were under treatment at a private hospital, the statement added.

The health department urged the public and media to avoid spreading sensationalized reports, warning that labeling these deaths as COVID-related could cause unnecessary panic.

Earlier reports had claimed that the four individuals succumbed to COVID-19 amid an unusual spike in infections during Karachi’s peak summer season, with temperatures exceeding 40°C.

Prof. Dr. Syed Faisal Mahmood, a professor of infectious diseases at AKUH, had confirmed that the hospital has observed a significant rise in COVID-19 cases over the past two to three weeks.

Also read: Health Minister denies Covid cases upsurge in Karachi

He described the trend as “unexpected” for this time of year, as the virus typically spreads more in colder months due to increased indoor activity and lower humidity.

COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, was declared a global pandemic in early 2020 after its detection in late 2019.

In January this year, similar reports surfaced claiming Karachi had started to see a rise in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, with 25 to 30 percent of patients presenting with symptoms of cold and cough testing positive for the virus.

However, later Sindh’s Health Minister Azra Pechuho refuted reports with regard to an upsurge in Covid cases in Karachi.

“Don’t afraid, corona disease is not spreading in Karachi,” the health minister said. “Coronavirus has vanished across the world,” Pechuho said.