Pakistan reports one death, 640 new coronavirus cases

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan reported one death due to coronavirus during the last 24 hours, lifting the death toll to 6,416.

According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), 640 more people tested positive for the infection during this period, bringing the number of confirmed cases in the country to 305,671.

As many as 292,303 coronavirus patients have recovered their health from the disease, pushing the number of active cases down to 6,952. During last twenty four hours 34,544 samples were tested, out of which 640 turned out to be positive. Thus far, more than 3 million tests have been conducted across the country.

A total of 837 patients are under treatment in 735 hospitals across the country, out of whom 106 are on ventilators.

Thus far, Sindh has reported 133,626 cases of the coronavirus, Punjab 98,368, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 37,317, Balochistan 14,269, Islamabad 16,124, Gilgit Baltistan 3,450, and Azad Jammu and Kahsmir 2,517.

Antiseptic nasal spray may help limit coronavirus spread

An antiseptic nasal spray containing povidone-iodine may help curb transmission of the new coronavirus, preliminary research suggests.

In test-tube experiments, a team of ear, nose and throat doctors found that a povidone-iodine nasal spray inactivated the virus in as little as 15 seconds. The nasal spray they tested is typically used to disinfect the inside of the nose before surgery. Formulations designed for use on skin are not safe in the nose, the researchers note.