• Pakistan Army donates vaccine, given by China, to frontline health workers
• CanSinoBio shows 74.48pc efficacy at preventing symptomatic cases

ISLAMABAD: While as many as 1,037 more cases of Covid-19 with positivity rate of 3.2 per cent were reported in a single day, the overall figure of deaths crossed the number of 12,000.

Moreover, the Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC) has released analysis of CanSinoBio which showed that in Pakistan there was 74.48pc efficacy at preventing symptomatic cases and 100pc at preventing severe disease. However, international data of five countries showed 65.7pc efficacy at preventing symptomatic cases and 90.98pc at preventing severe disease.

According to data of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), released on Monday, since the start of the pandemic on Feb 26, 2020, as many as 12,026 deaths were reported. Of which, 4,900 deaths were reported from Punjab, 4,119 from Sindh and 1,957 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Islamabad reported 480 deaths, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) 272, Balochistan 196 and 102 deaths were reported from Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).

Moreover, data showed that as many as 59 deaths were reported in a single day, of which over 50pc i.e. 32 were reported from Sindh, 20 from Punjab, five from KP and two deaths were reported from Islamabad.

While 265 ventilators were occupied across the country, Lahore’s 35pc, Multan’s 30pc, Islamabad’s 28pc and Peshawar’s 27pc vents were in use. The data of oxygen beds showed that Peshawar’s 42pc, Multan’s 32pc, Rawalpindi’s 24pc and Karachi’s 24pc beds were occupied.

The total number of active cases was 31,983 as of Feb 8 with 2,253 patients admitted in hospitals across the country.

The NCOC data further reveals that a total of 555,511 cases were detected from across the country of which 2,51,047 were reported from Sindh, 1,60,935 from Punjab, 68,531 from KP, 41,994 from Islamabad, 18,869 from Balochistan, 9,219 from AJK and 4,916 were reported from GB.

So far 511,502 patients have recovered across Pakistan making it a significant count.

Meanwhile, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan revealed that the Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC) analysis of CanSino Bio showed 65.7pc efficacy at preventing symptomatic cases and 90.98pc at preventing severe disease.

“Clinical trial data (phase-3) of a one-dose Ad5-nCoV vaccine for Covid (CanSino Bio) received. Interim analysis by the Independent Data Monitoring Committee shows 65.7pc efficacy at preventing symptomatic cases and 90.98pc at preventing severe disease (multicountry analysis),” he tweeted.

Traditional spirit

The army on Monday announced to give Covid-19 vaccines donated by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) for Pakistan’s armed forces to the national vaccination drive.

“Keeping with the Pakistan Armed Forces’ traditional spirit of ‘nation comes first, always and every time’ it has been decided to contribute complete vaccine donation, by PLA to Pakistan military, in the National vaccine drive to be administered to front line healthcare workers across Pakistan who are real heroes fighting against pandemic and Saving precious lives,” the Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement.

The army had earlier in the day received a batch of Covid-19 vaccine from PLA, which was transported by a Pakistan Air Force cargo air plane. This made Pakistan Army the first foreign military to receive the vaccine from Chinese armed forces.

The vaccine given by PLA has been produced by Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm. The Chinese government had earlier donated 500,000 doses of the same vaccine.

The Chinese Ministry of National Defence in a statement posted on its website said that the vaccine had requested by Pakistan Army.

Baqir Sajjad Syed also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2021