Two more cases of coronavirus emerge in Pakistan

KARACHI: Two more cases of the coronavirus have emerged in Pakistan, confirmed Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health, Dr Zafar Mirza on Saturday. 

“We have received reports of two more positive cases of coronavirus, one has been reported in Sindh province, (the) other in federal areas,” Zafar Mirza, Pakistan’s health minister, said during a press conference. 

Earlier, the Sindh Health Department had confirmed that a patient who had returned from Iran, had been diagnosed with the infection in Karachi at 05:00pm. 

The patient and those who came into contact with him have also been quarantined, confirmed the provincial health department. 

Speaking about the two earlier cases of coronavirus in Pakistan, Dr Mirza said there was no need to panic as they were both getting better. "One of the patients will be discharged from the hospital quite soon," he said. 

Dr Mirza said that the infection spread to Pakistan after cases were first reported in 47 countries. He said that the disease had spread to Pakistan last as the government had taken necessary precautions. 

Referring to the rising prices of face masks, the prime minister's aide said that it was unfortunate that every tragedy in Pakistan resulted in a money-making opportunity for some in the country. He said that it was not necessary for people to wear the mask. 

"We saw that people had needlessly started buying masks which shows they do not understand its purpose," he said. 

CM Sindh briefed on situation 

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah was briefed about the two news cases of the coronavirus that emerged in the country today by a taskforce.

The latest patient is reportedly 65 years old and arrived in Pakistan from Iran on February 20. The man's family has been quarantined in their home, the chief minister was informed.

Pakistan reports first two coronavirus cases

This is the second case to emerge from Karachi and the third overall from Pakistan. On Wednesday, Dr Mirza had reported two coronavirus cases in Pakistan. 

“I can confirm the first two cases of coronavirus in Pakistan. Both cases are being taken care of according to the clinical standard protocols and both of them are stable. There is no need to panic, things are under control,” Dr Mirza said in a tweet.

Read more: Pakistan latest victim of coronavirus

The second patient, identified in Islamabad, had been shifted to a quarantine in the capital's Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) the same day. 

However, Dr Mirza had assured the nation via a couple of tweets that both coronavirus patients undergoing treatment in Pakistan were "stable and improving". 

The pandemic has triggered panic around the world after it killed 2,700 people around the world (mostly in China) and affected more than 80,000 around the world. Iran has emerged as a major hotspot, with 139 reported cases and 19 deaths. 

The virus, which causes people to suffer from pneumonia, causes people to suffer from cough, fever and breathing difficulties. The virus originated from Wuhan's wet markets and have spread to Europe and South Asia.