Pakistan is estimated to have faced an economic loss of up to Rs2.5 trillion because of the Covid-19 pandemic in the current fiscal year and government figures project that around three million jobs are expected to be lost in the "initial round" of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Those Pakistanis who have suffered the most from the economic impact of the outbreak on lives and livelihoods are primarily the country's daily wage workers and urban slum dwellers.

This photo essay looks at how workers and their families are struggling through the restrictions and how some of them are finding ways and means to cope with the new reality.

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Saiyna Bashir is a Pakistani photojournalist. While working in the US she was awarded the Rookie Reporter of the Year award by the Wisconsin Newspaper Association for her coverage of the African-Muslim community residing in Madison, Wisconsin. Her work has gained her recognition as one of the 20 emerging female photographers. She was awarded a grant from National Geographic Society for in-depth coverage that depicts the socio-economic impact of Pakistanis living in urban slums. Her photos have been published alongside news stories in The NYT, The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Al-Jazeera, The Telegraph, Huffington Post, and others.

See more of her work on www.saiynabashirphoto.com and @saiynabashirphoto

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This work was supported by the National Geographic Society’s Emergency Fund for Journalists.