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Tag: coronavirus

  • Coronavirus: Lahore jail’s ‘mysterious’ patient zero who infected 58 prisoners in 20 days

    Coronavirus: Lahore jail’s ‘mysterious’ patient zero who infected 58 prisoners in 20 days

    Lahore’s Camp Jail has been vacated and turned into a 100-bed quarantine centre after at least 58 prisoners tested positive for the new coronavirus — COVID-19. But who is the mysterious patient zero and how did he contract the virus before passing it on to such a large number of inmates in just 20 days?

    According to The News, a total of 490 prisoners were exposed to patient zero who developed COVID-19 symptoms back on March 18. He complained of fever to the jail authorities and upon testing, his test result for the virus came positive. Following this, three other prisoners who were close to him also tested positive. The jail authorities then asked for tests of other inmates locked up in the same barracks as the patients, and initially, 19 other’s coronavirus tests also came positive.

    As the matter was looked into, the prison authorities realised that 490 inmates imprisoned in nearby barracks were also exposed to the mysterious patient zero. With it taking them 20 days to decide on vacating the jail, 58 of the said inmates tested positive for COVID-19.

    But who is patient zero?

    According to authorities, patient zero is a Pakistani-Italian who came to Pakistan in December 2019. On March 8, 2018, he was going back to Italy when the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) found on him six kilograms of heroin. With the drugs being seized, he was arrested and sent to Camp Jail.

    Authorities claim that his family is a frequent traveler and that was how he contracted the virus. “His family had also recently traveled from Italy and patient zero developed COVID-19 symptoms 10 days after his imprisonment,” they said.

    Meanwhile, Punjab government spokesperson Musarrat Cheema confirmed that Camp Jail had been vacated and converted into a 100-bed quarantine center.

    “There are more than 2,700 prisoners in Camp Jail. The Punjab government has converted the jail into a 100-bed quarantine centre for prisoners. A medical team of Services Hospital has also been assigned to look after this quarantine centre,” she informed, adding that a total of 490 prisoners were exposed to the patient at the jail.

    “Initially, the tests of 19 prisoners came positive and they were quarantined there. But as of April 9, the number of COVID-19 positive prisoners has reached 58. The remaining prisoners are being shifted to other cities, including Lodhran and Hafizabad. So far, 1,100 prisoners have been shifted to Hafizabad, 258 have been sent to Lodhran whereas the rest of the prisoners are being shifted to other jails across the province. There will be no prisoner in Camp Jail from today [Friday] onwards.”

  • Ushna Shah thinks doctors are wasting ‘precious time’ by dancing

    Ushna Shah thinks doctors are wasting ‘precious time’ by dancing

    If there is one actor who keeps ending up in the line of fire, it’s Ushna Shah. But that is probably because her comments are usually unfiltered.

    As the coronavirus grapples the world, doctors and healthcare workers across the world are under immense pressure as they deal with the rising number of cases. In order to uplift their spirits and deal with the crisis, medical staff at various hospitals have been dancing away their blues.

    Read more – Doctors worldwide are dancing as coronavirus patients recover

    Ushna, in a recent tweet, said that while she understands that doctors need their breaks, she is confused over whether the doctors are wasting their precious time doing this.

    Though Ushna later deleted her tweet, social media did not spare her.

    https://twitter.com/adambeyzaar/status/1248253782066188289?s=20
    https://twitter.com/kaif_hameed/status/1248221478753107968?s=20
    https://twitter.com/Aatma007/status/1248211270370832384?s=20

    What’s confusing is that just a few hours ago, Ushna had shared a video of herself stitching hazmat suits for medical staff.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-tnhovBlcL/

    Read more – Ushna Shah responds to ‘pizza guy’ Twitter backlash

    It is pertinent to mention here that doctors across the world are being lauded for putting their lives at risk and fighting on the frontlines against coronavirus.

  • PM asks Muslims to ‘pray on Shabe Baraat tonight’, deletes tweet after people tell him it was yesterday

    PM asks Muslims to ‘pray on Shabe Baraat tonight’, deletes tweet after people tell him it was yesterday

    In a Twitter blunder on Thursday, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan asked Muslims “to offer special Nuwafil prayers and seek Allah’s blessings and forgiveness on the occasion of Shabe Baraat tonight”, later deleting his tweet when people told him the night had already been observed a day ago.

    “I would request Muslims all over the world to offer, tonight on the occasion of Shab e Baraat special Nuafil prayers to Allah and seek His Blessings and Forgiveness [sic],” the premier tweeted on Thursday afternoon.

    While he deleted the tweet amid criticism for not knowing that the night had already been observed, here’s a screen grab:

    Twitterati, as usual, did not let go of the blunder easy:

    https://twitter.com/Andyrockz2012/status/1248190024497037313
    https://twitter.com/Mujeeb_Malik_/status/1248173110744006656

    Mid-Sha’ban or Shabe Baraat is a holiday observed by Muslim communities on the night between 14 and 15 of the Islamic month of Sha’ban. It is regarded as a night when the fortunes of individuals for the coming year are decided and when Allah forgives sinners.

  • Whatsapp imposes new limits on the forwarding of viral messages

    Whatsapp imposes new limits on the forwarding of viral messages

    We are all being bombarded with Whatsapp forwards about coronavirus cures or other related issues in our family/friends or other Whatsapp groups. Many times, these messages turn out to be fake.

    With heightened scrutiny on the potential of private message apps to spread misinformation related to the coronavirus pandemic, WhatsApp on Tuesday said it would place new limits on the forwarding of messages. Messages that have been identified as “highly forwarded” — sent through a chain of five or more people — can only be forwarded to a single person. The move is designed to reduce the speed with which information moves through WhatsApp, putting truth and fiction on a more even footing.

    “We know many users forward helpful information, as well as funny videos, memes, and reflections or prayers they find meaningful. In recent weeks, people have also used WhatsApp to organize public moments of support for frontline health workers,” the company, which is part of Facebook, said in a blog post. “However, we’ve seen a significant increase in the amount of forwarding which users have told us can feel overwhelming and can contribute to the spread of misinformation. We believe it’s important to slow the spread of these messages down to keep WhatsApp a place for personal conversation.”

    For much of WhatsApp’s existence, it was easy for users to forward a single message to as many as 256 people with just a few taps. Initially, these messages were not labelled as forwards, and the end-to-end encryption in WhatsApp could make it almost impossible for authorities to determine who might be using the app to spread hate speech or calls to violence. This triggered a crisis in India, where WhatsApp was linked to mob violence.

    In 2018, WhatsApp began experimenting with limits on the number of times a message could be forwarded. It also began labeling forwarded messages for the first time, and adding two arrows to show that a message has been repeatedly forwarded. Last year, the company began limiting the number of people you can forward a single message to to five.

    It’s a soft limit: nothing prevents you from forwarding the same message over and over again to different people. But introducing more friction helped to slow the rate of forwarding overall — in the past year, WhatsApp says, forwards are down 25 percent around the world.

    But amid a huge surge in use related to the pandemic, WhatsApp has come under the spotlight for the way it can be used to spread misinformation. Last month, CNN and other news organisations found that the app had been used to share a variety of false information about “cures” for COVID-19 and hoaxes about military activity related to the disease. The prime minister of Ireland, Leo Varadkar, urged people to “please stop sharing unverified info on Whatsapp groups.”

    In response, WhatsApp promoted a bot made by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that provides information about the disease that has been vetted by healthcare professionals. The app has been used by more than 10 million people. WhatsApp also donated $1 million to the International Fact-Checking Network.

  • Twitter CEO Jack pledges $1 billion for coronavirus relief

    Twitter CEO Jack pledges $1 billion for coronavirus relief

    Jack Dorsey is devoting $1 billion of his stake in Square Inc., the payments firm he co-founded, to help fund coronavirus relief efforts.

    “After we disarm this pandemic, the focus will shift to girl’s health and education, and UBI,” Dorsey said Tuesday in a tweet, referring to universal basic income. The pledge represents about 28% of his wealth.

    At the end of his Twitter thread, Jack said: “Why now? The needs are increasingly urgent, and I want to see the impact in my lifetime. I hope this inspires others to do something similar. Life is too short, so let’s do everything we can today to help people now. ✌?”

    Dorsey, also co-founder of Twitter Inc., has a net worth of about $3.9 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

    Meanwhile, Malala thanked Jack for his generosity.

  • US all-praise for Pakistani Americans for serving communities amid coronavirus outbreak

    US all-praise for Pakistani Americans for serving communities amid coronavirus outbreak

    Alice Wells, principal deputy assistant secretary of the United States’ (US) Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, has appreciated Pakistani Americans for serving communities both in the country and back home during the persisting global health crisis of coronavirus.

    The diplomat took to social media to laud Pakistan-born Americans for providing food and assistance in the US, as well as supporting healthcare professionals in their native country.

    https://twitter.com/State_SCA/status/1247560894650990593

    The tweet comes days after the US announced that it will give a $1 million grant to Pakistan under the USAID programme to help improve monitoring and rapid response against the COVID-19.

    “The US-Pakistan government partnership is helping fight COVID-19. The US government is responding to COVID-19 in Pakistan with [an] initial $1 million funding to bolster monitoring and rapid response,” Wells had said at the time, adding that Islamabad and Washington were longstanding partners in tackling global health challenges.

  • Jazz pledges Rs 1.2 billion for COVID-19 relief efforts

    Jazz pledges Rs 1.2 billion for COVID-19 relief efforts

    Pakistan’s largest digital service provider, Jazz, a VEON group company, has pledged PKR 1.2 billion support towards Covid19 relief. The support will include short to mid-term initiatives aimed to limit the negative impact of the pandemic, primarily for the most vulnerable communities.

    According to a press release, Jazz will provide support to leading welfare organisations across Pakistan. The initiatives include COVID-19 tests, life-saving ventilators, and food rations to be passed on to the ones most affected by the calamity. The relief response also facilitates Jazz customers to direct their charitable donations via SMS and JazzCash. Jazz employees will also be voluntarily contributing up to 3-days salary to the nationwide relief effort.

    A significant part of the announced support will be for continuing zero-rated and subsidized services for access to emergency care, medical helplines, and critical health applications, which have been either marked-down or made free for customers under this coronavirus relief effort. Additional support will come in through subsidized voice and data bundles and mobile payments. The company has also accelerated the sign-up process for JazzCash mobile wallets so that relief can be provided urgently by donors directly to local community members most impacted by this pandemic.

    Jazz CEO Aamir Ibrahim said, “We have been at the forefront of solving every crisis in Pakistan for the past 25 years. The COVID-19 is no exception in stepping up our national responsibility. As a digital company, we have a huge role to play in keeping the economy advancing through online connectivity. This global crisis is unprecedented in its scale, and our prayers are with those who are suffering.”

    Aamir added, “It has been our experience that reliance on scientific data, developing a robust, on-ground response, and an active collaboration will lead us out of this crisis. I’m glad that in this time of uncertainty, we are working together with the government, the armed forces, federal and provincial authorities, as they tirelessly contain the spread of Covid19.”

    Mobile communications, access to high-speed internet, and mobile payments are declared essential services during any crisis. The cellular company is working actively to ensure that its services remain unaffected so that Pakistan can stay connected to both work and family.

  • ‘No special flights between Pakistan, UAE,’ officials warn people of travel agents’ scam

    ‘No special flights between Pakistan, UAE,’ officials warn people of travel agents’ scam

    The Pakistan Embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has issued a warning about a ticket scam involving travel agents offering to book tickets on “special flights” from the UAE to Pakistan.

    “Flights between Pakistan and the UAE are suspended and there is no announcement of any special flights from UAE to Pakistan so far,” said a statement issued by the Embassy on Tuesday.

    The statement added that the embassy would announce if any special flights would be offered, while stressing that there will be an official announcement whenever normal flight operations between Pakistan and the UAE resume.

    “This is to inform Pakistani community members in the UAE that some agents are offering tickets for ‘special flights’ from the UAE to Pakistan. Beware of such people and instead contact the respective airlines to confirm the flights before purchasing any tickets,” the embassy statement went on to say.

    The Pakistan Consulate General in Dubai reiterated the warning on its Twitter account.

    “Pakistan Consulate General in Dubai has not announced any special flight to Pakistan of any airline yet. The consulate will not be responsible for any such ticket purchases.”

    Thousands of Pakistanis are stranded in the UAE after flights were suspended amid the global coronavirus outbreak.

    It is understood that Pakistanis’ data is being collated to assist the government in formulating plans for repatriation.

    The Foreign Ministry in Pakistan is also believed to be working out how to bring back stranded Pakistanis from around the world, with some flights already being operated.

  • Miss England 2019 gives up her pageant crown for a doctor’s gown

    Miss England 2019 is hanging up her crown (for now) to focus on the coronavirus pandemic.

    Bhasha Mukherjee, 24, was a junior doctor specialising in respiratory medicine before competing in the Miss World pageant on behalf of England in December 2019. Although continuing her work at the Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, Lincolnshire, after taking home her Miss England sash, she had planned to put her medical career on hold to travel the world for various humanitarian efforts after her latest competition. However, four weeks into her ambassadorship in India on behalf of Coventry Mercia Lions Club, where she donated stationery to schools and gave money to a home for abandoned girls, news broke that COVID-19 was spreading rapidly back home in the UK.

    After Mukherjee started receiving messages from former colleagues about the worsening situation at her hospital, she knew she had to pick up where she had left off. She told CNN she felt she needed to be more hands-on during the pandemic.

    “When you are doing all this humanitarian work abroad, you’re still expected to put the crown on, get ready…look pretty,” she said. “I wanted to come back home. I wanted to come and go straight to work.”

    “This is what I’d got this degree for and what better time to be part of this particular sector than now?” she said. “It was incredible the way the whole world was celebrating all key workers, and I wanted to be one of those, and I knew I could help.”

    On April 5, Queen Elizabeth II made a rare address to the British public, thanking health care and essential workers for their tireless effort responding to COVID-19.

    “I want to thank everyone on the NHS front line, as well as care workers and those carrying out essential roles who selflessly continue their day-to-day duties outside the home in support of us all,” she said. “I’m sure the nation will join me in ensuring you that what you do is appreciated and every hour of your hard work brings us closer to a return to more normal times.”

    The queen finished her speech with a hopeful message. “We can take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return,” she said. “We will be with our friends again. We will be with our families again. We will meet again.”

    On Wednesday, April 6, Mukherjee returned to England but still has to self-isolate for about two weeks before she can return to work as a doctor at the Pilgrim Hospital, where it’s all hands on deck, according to the pageant queen.

    “There’s no better time for me to be Miss England and helping England at a time of need,” she said.

  • Pakistan delivers flowers to 10 Downing Street as British PM fights coronavirus

    Pakistan delivers flowers to 10 Downing Street as British PM fights coronavirus

    Pakistan High Commission in London on Tuesday delivered flowers to 10 Downing Street, the official residence of British Prime Minister (PM) Boris Johnson who was admitted to the hospital two days ago after testing positive for the coronavirus, The Guardian reported.

    Johnson tested positive for the virus on Mar 27, following which he went into self-isolation at his official residence. On Sunday, he was admitted to an undisclosed hospital in London and a day later shifted to the intensive care unit as, reports said, his condition worsened.

    On Tuesday, PM Imran Khan also wrote to his British counterpart, wishing him “earliest recovery” and “good health”.

    According to a statement issued by the PM’s Office (PMO), the premier, in the letter, underscored the importance of Pakistan and the United Kingdom (UK) working together to overcome the formidable challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic.