Can Pakistan Effectively Respond to Coronavirus Pandemic?

Pakistani public health system's ability to deal with Covid19 pandemic is increasingly being questioned with the number of confirmed coronavirus cases spiking in the country. The current hotspot is in southern Sindh province where the provincial government is taking the lead in fighting its spread by shutting schools, closing restaurants and shopping malls and banning large gatherings such as weddings and conferences. The federal government has closed Pakistan's western border with Iran where the coronavirus pandemic is raging. Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority has started screening all incoming passengers and stopped flights to and from several countries hit by the pandemic. Pakistani health experts are advising people with flu-like symptoms to self-isolate in their homes. The best known treatment for the severely ill is Resochin, the anti-malarial antiviral made by Bayer Pakistan. Hydroxycholroquine (HCQ), made by Getz Pakistan, is also reportedly effective in treating Covid19.

Coronavirus Global Pandemic

Is Pakistan Ready?

Pakistan is among only 6 countries in the world that have taken the steps they need to evaluate their ability to withstand a global pandemic, according to a 2017 report sponsored by the World Bank. The 6 countries named in the report are: Eritrea, Finland, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania and the United States.

Covid19 Coronavirus. Source: US CDC

Pakistan's ability to deal with a pandemic is now being tested by the coronavirus. The current hotspot for it is in southern Sindh province where the provincial government is taking the lead in fighting its spread by shutting schools, closing restaurants and shopping malls and banning large gatherings such as weddings and conferences. The federal government has closed Pakistan's western border with Iran where the coronavirus pandemic is raging. Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority has started screening all incoming passengers and stopped flights to and from several countries hit by the pandemic. Pakistani health experts are advising people with flu-like symptoms to self-isolate in their homes.

Pakistan is ramping up coronavirus testing and setting up isolation wards at many hospitals in Sindh and across the country. More testing accounts for the spike in confirmed cases. The best known treatment for the severely ill is Resochin, the anti-malarial antiviral made by Bayer Pakistan.

In response to a recent request by Pakistan's Express Tribune newspaper staff, World Health Organization Executive Director Dr. Michael J. Ryan said Pakistan has great capacity in public health but he also talked of challenges posed by the Coronavirus pandemic. “Pakistan has a highly mobile population with mega cities and undeserved people,” he said.  “So there is a great challenge facing Pakistan. But Pakistan has also demonstrated time and again with dengue, polio and other diseases how all of the government and society’s approaches can be made to work.”

Dr. Palitha Gunarathna Mahipala, World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Pakistan, also lauded Pakistan's response to Covid19 pandemic, according to The News. He said,  “Pakistan has timely come up with one of the world’s best National Response Program against COVID-19 and it is being implemented very effectively. Authorities are doing their job and now it is the responsibility of the people to follow the instructions and take preventive and precautionary measures to avoid contracting the viral disease.”

The World Bank report titled "From Panic and Neglect to Investing in Health Security: Financing Pandemic Preparedness at a National Level" was written by experts from the World Bank,  the World Health Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the African and Asian development banks, and finance officials from various governments. The report included estimates of the economic damage various epidemics had done. For example, the viral pneumonia SARS — which ultimately killed only 774 people — shrank China’s gross domestic product by 0.5 percent in 2003. The report also broke down costs on a per capita basis. A major flu pandemic, for example, would cost Afghanistan only $12 per citizen, India $31, Pakistan $28 and the United States $248.

Social Distancing:


The current hotspot is in southern Sindh province where the provincial government is taking the lead in fighting its spread by shutting schools, closing restaurants and shopping malls and banning large gatherings. The federal government has closed Pakistan's western border with Iran where the coronavirus pandemic is raging. Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority has started screening all incoming passengers and stopped flights to and from several countries hit by the pandemic.

Italian experience with coronavirus has shown that even a well-developed public health system in a rich European country can be overwhelmed by rapidly growing pandemic such as Covid19.  The best way to handle the situation is to cut the infection rate by keeping people about 6 feet apart. This is being called "social distancing".

Social Distancing to Limit Infection Rates 

Based on what the United States has learned from what is happening in Italy, major cities and states in America are taking steps to reduce large gatherings of people. Offices, schools, restaurants and shopping centers are closed with shelter-in-place orders in Silicon Valley and the larger 6-county San Francisco Bay Area.

Herd Immunity:

Herd immunity develops when a large percentage of population is infected or vaccinated. Dr. Arindam Basu, Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Environmental Health at University of Canterbury, has recently written an article in The Conversation arguing that it is "unethical and potentially dangerous" to wait for herd immunity to develop in the absence of a vaccine.  It could result in hundreds of thousands or even millions of deaths among the most vulnerable segments of the population such as the elderly and the immune-compromised.

Pakistan's Assistance to China:

Chinese President Xi Jinping has thanked Pakistan for its support during coronabirus outbreak in his country. "China is deeply grateful for Pakistan's support. Facts have proved once again that China and Pakistan are true friends who share weal and woe and good brothers who share each other's joys and sorrows. The special friendship is a historical choice, and is deeply rooted in the hearts of the two peoples," said Xi.

Resochin (Chloroquine) Produced by Bayer Pakistan 

At the peak of the outbreak in February, Bayer Pakistan exported to China 300,000 tablets of Resochin (Chloroquine) that proved effective in treating coronavirus infections and saving lives in Wuhan. Resochin is an antiviral drug used for treating malaria. Chloroquine is manufactured by not just Bayer but several other drug companies as well.  China and many other countries discontinued its production years ago.   Several Pakistani pharmaceutical companies also manufacture HydroxyChloroquine which has lower toxicity and fewer side effects. The United Kingdom has banned hoarding and export of both of these drugs. In addition, Pakistan donated 7,000 surgical masks to China at the peak of the coronavirus outbreak.  A recent paper titled "An Effective Treatment for Coronavirus (COVID-19)"  by James M. Todaro, MD and and Gregory J. Rigano, Esq. has published data showing the efficacy of familiar anti-malaria drugs Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine for treatment of and as prophylactic against COVID-19.

In Vitro Efficacy of Chloroquine(CQ) vs Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) Ag...

Recently, Chinese research (reported in Clinical Trials Arena) reported that “data from the drug’s [chloroquine] studies showed ‘certain curative effect’ with ‘fairly good efficacy’ … patients treated with chloroquine demonstrated a better drop in fever, improvement of lung CT images, and required a shorter time to recover compared to parallel groups. The percentage of patients with negative viral nucleic acid tests was also higher with the anti-malarial drug… Chloroquine has so far shown no obvious serious adverse reactions in more than 100 participants in the trials… Chloroquine was selected after several screening rounds of thousands of existing drugs. Chloroquine is undergoing further trials in more than ten hospitals in Beijing, Guangdong province and Hunnan province.”

A small French study found only 25% of COVID19 patients who took it for 6 days still had the virus while 90% of those who had not taken it still had Covid-19.

HCQ (Hydroxychloroquine) Manufactured by Getz Pakistan

Economic Impact of Coronavirus Pandemic:

Service sector accounts for  50% of the world GDP and 54% of Pakistan's GDP.  Social distancing will significantly impact the services, particularly retail, restaurants, travel, transport and education sectors. Imran Khan has expressed fear that the pandemic will devastate the economies of developing countries.

“My worry is poverty and hunger," Khan said. "The world community has to think of some sort of a debt write-off for countries like us, which are very vulnerable, at least that will help us in coping with (the coronavirus).”

Summary:

Pakistan is among only six countries in the world that have taken the steps they need to evaluate their ability to withstand a global pandemic, according to a 2017 report sponsored by the World Bank. The current hotspot is in southern Sindh province where the provincial government is taking the lead in fighting its spread by shutting schools, closing restaurants and shopping malls and banning large gatherings. The federal government has closed Pakistan's western border with Iran where the coronavirus pandemic is raging. Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority has started screening all incoming passengers and stopped flights to and from several countries hit by the pandemic.  The best known treatment for the severely ill is Resochin, the anti-malarial antiviral made by Bayer Pakistan.  Dr. Michael Ryan and Dr. Palitha Gunarathna Mahipala of the World Health Organization (WHO) have talked of challenges Pakistan faces but also praised the steps it has taken to fight coronavirus pandemic.

Here's the latest Coronavirus Pandemic Update:

https://youtu.be/vE4_LsftNKM

Related Links:

Views: 1230

Comment by Riaz Haq on April 15, 2020 at 5:25pm

"Pakistan with a population of 220 million, so far the best stimulus package we can afford is $8 billion," Khan said in the video, adding that highly indebted countries lack fiscal space to spend on health and social support.

https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/12/world/asia/12reuters-hea...

8 billion/ 220 million = $36.36 per person

--------------------

India announced on Thursday a $22.6 billion economic stimulus plan that provides direct cash transfers and food security measures, offering relief to millions of poor people hit by a nationwide lockdown triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.

22.6 billion/ 1,300 million = $17.38 per person

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-india-stimulu...

Comment by Riaz Haq on April 15, 2020 at 10:52pm

#WHO oversees research to develop #coronavirus treatment in #Pakistan. Getz Pharma has joined hands with the University of Health Sciences in Lahore to support research that include clinical trials of #hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug. #COVID19
https://www.dawn.com/news/1549628

KARACHI: The World Health Organisation (WHO) is supervising a research about fast-track development of Covid-19 treatment in Pakistan which would help ascertain the effectiveness of anti-Malaria drugs while treating the coronavirus patients, officials and industry sources said on Wednesday.

The development emerged after Getz Pharma — Pakistan’s only WHO-approved manufacturing facility — joined hands with the University of Health Sciences in Lahore to support research projects that could include clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug shown to be effective against the coronavirus, pushing the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency approval of the product.

“Under this initiative, we are supporting the University of Health Sciences, Lahore, for research that includes clinical trials of the drug,” Khalid Mahmood, Managing Director and CEO of Getz Pharma, told Dawn. “The virus is mutating as it moves from one population. There is a need to examine the coronavirus in Pakistan more. This initiative would help on all these lines and lead to better results and other initatives,” he said.

The pharmaceutical company, meanwhile, donated 15,000 testing kits as well as 1.9 million tablets of hydroxychloroquine to the Sindh government. A statement issued by the company said that it had also donated 1,500 units of personal protective equipment (PPE) for doctors and healthcare workers, which had been dispatched to more than 50 hospitals, isolation wards, quarantine centers and clinics in Sindh, including Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Nawabshah and Larkana.

Meanwhile, adviser to the Sindh chief minister Barrister Murtaza Wahab praised the pharmaceutical company for its supplies to the provincial government, which has showed its serious frustration for not being able to import testing kits as the federal government refused to allow cargo flights for this purpose.

“Getz Pharma has donated 15,000 rapid anti-body testing kits, about 1.9 million hydroxychloroquine tablets & 1,500 personal protective equipment to #SindhGovt. On behalf of the Govt & people of Sindh, my heartfelt appreciation & gratitude to the management of Getz Pharma. Thank you,” he tweeted.

Mr Mahmood of Getz Pharma also lauded the recent efforts of the scientists at the Dow University of Health Sciences for preparing an immunoglobulin that could effectively help treat the Covid-19 patients.

Comment by Riaz Haq on April 16, 2020 at 10:39am

Are #COVID19 deaths in #Pakistan under-reported? "There's no scientific evidence to support this theory that more Covid-19 patients are dying [now]," says Dr Amir Raza, ex medical superintendent of Trauma Centre at the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital #Karachi https://www.dawn.com/news/1549539

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday expressed the fear that the actual number of deaths from the coronavirus in the province is probably much higher than what is currently being reported.

Shah said his suspicion was that many infections are simply going undetected. "Known deaths, where the patient tests positive and they die, are so far 41 in Sindh. However, you may have also seen reports about dead bodies being brought to hospitals, which experts say cannot be tested for the coronavirus," he told a press conference.

He may have been alluding to reports like that published in the daily The News, which cited claims that more than 300 patients who were either dead on arrival (DOA) or extremely sick with “pneumonia-like symptoms” and died within hours of their arrival were brought to various public and private hospitals in Karachi during the past 15 days.

Dr Amir Raza, former deputy medical superintendent of the Trauma Centre at the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi, says there may be a simpler explanation to the rise in reported deaths at hospitals.

"The fact of the matter is that the city’s private hospitals are not entertaining patients; the primary healthcare apparatus, that is the smaller private clinics in neighbourhoods, is shut. So every person, if they feel sick for any reason, would either rush to JPMC [Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre], Civil Hospital or Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. Hence, the patient volume has increased and so has the death toll at these facilities," he said.

He noted that a similar phenomenon is observed during Eid holidays, when the volume of patients increases manifold at these three hospitals because private clinics and healthcare facilities are closed or operating at low capacity.

"There is no scientific evidence to support this theory that more Covid-19 patients are dying [now]," he told Dawn.

Also read: Is TB vaccine the reason behind Covid-19's less deadly effect in Pakistan? Experts are finding out

Edhi foundation sees increase in deaths
For its part, Edhi Foundation, the city's most noted social welfare organisation, has seen an "unusual increase" in deaths in Karachi during the last two weeks, the charity's head told Dawn.com, adding that a proper medical investigation should be carried out to ascertain the cause behind these deaths amid the coronavirus contagion in the metropolis.

Faisal Edhi said they shifted a total of 387 bodies from different areas and hospitals for burial at various graveyards between April 1 and April 13 as compared to 230 during the same period last year.

"There is an increase of 60-70 per cent deaths this year in such a short period of time," Edhi said, adding, however, that they were not in a position to pinpoint the exact cause of the deaths.

He revealed that most of the deceased persons attended to by the Edhi Foundation were of an older age and faced a variety of health complications.

On the suspicion that some of these deaths may have been due to Covid-19, Edhi said their volunteers were following the advised procedures for transporting and burying such bodies to avoid being infected.

Why the jump in numbers?
Edhi pointed out that hospitals' OPDs were closed and people were facing difficulties in getting treatment or reaching the health facilities on time due to shortage of transport services because of lockdown measures imposed by the provincial government to prevent the spread of the virus.

Comment by Riaz Haq on April 17, 2020 at 9:38am

#Coronavirus cases in #SouthAsia. Notice the slope of the curves, particularly the steep slope in #India relative to #Pakistan and others. #COVID19 https://www.cfr.org/blog/coronavirus-south-asia-april-15-2020-india...

https://twitter.com/haqsmusings/status/1251187389340413952?s=20

Comment by Riaz Haq on April 17, 2020 at 4:50pm

Indus Hospital in #Karachi has tripled #testingCOVID19 capacity to 750 #coronavirus tests/day with the help of National Institute of #Virology at Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research (PCMD) at Karachi University. #Pakistan #COVID19 https://tribune.com.pk/story/2188192/1-indus-hospital-increases-cov...

The National Institute of Virology has provided four Real-Time PCR (Polymerase Chain Reactions) machines and qualified virology experts to the hospital so that the working burden of diagnosis could be handled easily. The provision of these PCRs has increased the testing capacity from 800 to 2,400 daily.

The announcement came on Saturday after the meeting of virology experts held at the National Institute of Virology. The meeting was also attended by Prof Dr M Iqbal Choudhary, Director of International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi, Dr Muhammad Rashid, senior research officer of the institute of virology, Dr. Ammar Ather and other scientists.
“The hospital, which is working in collaboration with the Government of Sindh, was facing immense working-load in the process of diagnosis due to increasing number of coronavirus cases in Sindh”, said Prof Chaudhary in a statement.

At the moment, the major challenge in Pakistan is of very limited diagnostic capabilities, he said, adding that the WHO has declared the timely diagnosis of the disease as the major step in stopping the spread of COVID-19, as undetected infected individuals are the biggest source of infecting others.

Talking about the significance of this collaboration between a hospital and research facility, Prof Chaudhary said that “Indus Hospital is currently the “epicenter” of all COVID-19 related activities in Sindh, which is the worst-hit province of Pakistan with 65 per cent confirmed cases, thus we think it is an excellent example of a university-based research center helping the national health care system at the time of national health emergency”.

The experts in the meeting concluded that taking necessary precautions is the only way to protect ourselves from the contagious virus. Virology expert, Dr. Muhammad Rashid said people must avoid public gatherings. He said that large grocery stores and shopping malls should not be used for shopping, open-street shops, where people are not gathered in large numbers are better options for buying groceries. He added that children should not be allowed to go outside as these holidays were announced in case of an emergency, not for a picnic.

Comment by Riaz Haq on April 21, 2020 at 12:46pm

Well done, #Pakistan! Pak has tested more than peers. #COVID19 transmission has slowed down. Back-of-the-envelope estimates had projected 20,000 to 25,000 (10,000 actual) positive cases by mid-April and possibly 400+ deaths (201 actual) . #coronavirus https://tribune.com.pk/story/2202828/6-well-done-pakistan-7/

How well have we managed the ongoing coronavirus crisis?

Let’s go back a few weeks. The zaireen (pilgrims) from Taftan were not quarantined properly at the border. The government was a little too late in calling off the Raiwind congregation. And there was hardly any coordination between the federal and provincial governments. There were no appropriate quarantine facilities and hardly any testing capacity for Covid-19. There was not even a count of available ventilators in the country. Crude estimates suggested that we had too few. There was no awareness in the public about the necessary precautionary measures, while masks and sanitisers vanished from the market overnight. Back-of-the-envelope estimates projected 20,000 to 25,000 positive cases by mid-April and possibly 400+ deaths.
But gradually, things started to change. Sindh took the lead in enforcing a lockdown, but other provinces followed suit. Transmission slowed down, as new quarantine facilities were set up, new ventilators were imported, and the old ones were repaired free of cost by dedicated engineers. Based on existing projections, the country now has enough ventilators till the first week of June. The testing capacity over the last few weeks has also been ramped up considerably and although it is nowhere close to America or Europe’s, the number of tests per 1,000 people in Pakistan are far more than India, Bangladesh and Indonesia, and a little more than half of Japan. Moreover, the existing testing capacity is targeted prudently at those with symptoms, the ones they have been in contact with or travelers from other countries. At least three provinces — Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh — are running pilots on pooled testing approach and are expected to increase their testing capacity by four to six times. Health and district administration officials have been doing meticulous contact tracing to identify people at risk. And most importantly, all provincial and federal agencies have come together to coordinate their efforts through the single National Command and Operations Center (NCOC).
TV advertisements, newspapers, websites and even cellphone ringers all carry awareness messages. The message about 20-second hand washing has spread far and wide. Sanitisers have become a common sight, at least in urban areas, and many can be seen wearing masks. The government has also done an excellent job in reporting statistics. The K-P health minister for instance has been sharing daily disease heatmaps through Twitter. The Digital Pakistan team has developed a Covid-19 dashboard, offering updates on demographic and geographic distribution of cases and tests.

On the economic front, Pakistan was quick to access IMF’s rapid financing facility and seek a debt moratorium. Federal and provincial relief packages have been announced. Interest rate has been brought down by 425 basis points, businesses are being offered low-cost loans to ensure liquidity and more importantly, the federal government is trying to use this opportunity to re-negotiate the IPP agreements. Punjab has announced tax breaks for businesses, while K-P has announced a coping strategy to dilute the impact of the crisis.

Within the private sector, scores of educational institutions have seamlessly transitioned to e-learning virtually overnight. The academics, journalists and analysts have come up with excellent suggestions to mitigate the crisis, while philanthropic organizations like Akhuwat are working diligently to help those in need.

Comment by Riaz Haq on April 24, 2020 at 10:36am

#Pakistan #Army to help government implement ‘test, trace and quarantine’ strategy. The #ttquran TTQ strategy has been formulated to keep the spread of the #COVID19 disease in check while different sectors open up. #Smartlockdown https://www.dawn.com/news/1551531

The army would aid civilian agencies in the implementation of the ‘Test, Trace and Quarantine’ (TTQ) strategy for containing the Covid-19 pandemic.

Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa was on Wednesday briefed about the TTQ strategy during his visit to the National Command and Operation Centre — the nerve-centre for the national decision-making in the fight against novel coronavirus.

TTQ is “aimed at identifying disease spread, focused clusters/hotspots to enable targeted lockdowns and need-driven resource optimisation at all levels,” a press statement issued by ISPR on Gen Bajwa’s visit to NCOC said.

The strategy is being adopted as the country gradually moves towards ‘smart’ lockdown under which a hybrid model is being followed that entails continued social distancing, limited opening up of economy, targeted isolation of vulnerable communities, and continuous capacity-building of health sector.


The easing of the lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Imran Khan on April 14.


The TTQ strategy has been formulated to keep the spread of the disease in check while different sectors open up.

The TTQ strategy involves ramping up of testing, rapidly tracing the contacts of confirmed positive cases, and effective quarantining of positive and suspected cases. This is highly labour-intensive and requires use of technology, but is considered as a better option than shutting down the economy.

An official said TTQ would now drive the national Covid-19 strategy. The military would assist the civilian agencies with their expertise and technical prowess.

A pilot project of TTQ is currently under way and its full-scale application is expected in the next few days.

“Pakistan Army in collaboration with other national institutions should take all possible measures to bring comfort to the nation in these challenging times particularly during Ramazan,” Gen Bajwa was quoted as having said.

The army chief complimented the civil-military coordination at NCOC. He “emphasised the need for continued stratified risk assessment, managing trinity of health crisis, economic slide and psycho-social impact through efficient resource management,” the ISPR said.

One of the main objectives of NCOC, besides recommending policies backed by data to the government, was to promote harmony among the provinces and various national institutions, especially the civilian-military coordination.

Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar, who chairs NCOC, and the national coordinator Lt Gen Hamooduz Zaman have together driven the campaign while promoting cooperation among various component. “The tone and tenor of both of them is conciliatory, giving message of unity, consensus and harmony. Mr Umar has steered the whole effort with great political acumen and will while Gen Hamooduz Zaman has amplified the COAS vision of strengthening institutions and capacity building,” an official, who has been part of the NCOC proceedings, said.

Comment by Riaz Haq on April 24, 2020 at 12:57pm

A #digital marketer for a company 50-person office in #Karachi, #Pakistan returned to find desks 12 ft apart instead of 6 ft. “We wear masks, and each of us has sanitizer,” he says. #coronavirus #smartlockdownbyik #SocialDistancing https://www.bloombergquint.com/businessweek/what-to-expect-when-you... via @BloombergQuint


Things are about to get weird at work. In many places where offices have reopened, businesses haven’t returned to business as usual. We spoke to managers and employees around the world about the aspects of pandemic work culture that are here to stay—and those that aren’t.


The Socially Distanced Desk Majid Fareed is a digital marketer for a clothing company with a 50-person office in Karachi, Pakistan. After lockdown, he returned to find the desks 12 feet apart instead of 6. “We wear masks, and each of us has sanitizer,” Fareed says. He goes in three days a week, and on those days the colleagues on either side of him work from home. For meetings, his supervisor stan

Goodbye, Groomed Work Identity “On almost every call, something unexpected happens, like a kid walks in,” says Paul Daugherty, chief technology officer of consultancy Accenture Plc. “We’re seeing each other as real people. I think it’s really powerful and has profound workforce implications.” Homebodies “None of our customers want to see us!” says Ravin Gandhi, CEO of GMM Nonstick Coatings, which

Meetings in Gallery View A weekly Beijing team meeting for Preferred Hotel Group Inc. used to take place in a conference room. “Now three people are in the office and two are at home, and each sits at her own desk,” says Caroline Klein, executive vice president of corporate communications. One unexpected benefit: “When you’re sitting next to someone in a conference room, you’re not necessarily see


We’re All in This Together “People are volunteering to do work outside of their jobs,” says Denise Broady, chief operating officer at WorkForce Software LLC, where vice presidents and above have agreed to delay their bonuses by five months so lower-level employees can receive full bonuses. “It’s having such a positive impact on the workforce—people are thinking about the collective whole, not just

The Death of the Open Office “Before Covid-19, everyone was pushing density,” says Michael Silver, chairman of commercial real estate firm Vestian. “To get more density, they were ‘hoteling’ or ‘hot desking’ ”—where employees don’t have assigned seats. “Now everyone wants to be very careful about the air they breathe,” he says. “No one wants to be in an open office or coworking environment.”

But You’ll Probably Still Commute “I hear a lot of companies saying, ‘Oh, this gave us a chance to experiment with remote work,’ ” says Barbara Larson, a management professor at Northeastern University. “I’m thinking, Oh God, please don’t make any conclusions based on these months,” when many people stuck at home had jobs unsuited to remote work. Her prediction: Full-time remote workers will increase to almost 10%, about twice the pre-pandemic rate, and part-timers will jump to 30%, from 24%.

Comment by Riaz Haq on April 25, 2020 at 11:07am

#Pakistan using #intelligence services to track #coronavirus cases. PM #ImranKhan says Inter-Services Intelligence - 'originally used against terrorism' - is now fighting the #COVID19 pandemic.@AJENews https://aje.io/bbxt9

Pakistan is using a contact tracing system - developed by its intelligence services to combat terrorism - to fight the coronavirus, the country's prime minister has said, as COVID-19 cases continue to spike in the South Asian country.

Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) service is supporting the government in tracing and tracking people who may have been in contact in with those who test positive for the virus.

"The ISI has given us a great system for track and trace," said Pakistani PM Imran Khan on a live telecast of a telethon on Thursday. "It was originally used against terrorism, but now it is has come in useful against coronavirus."

International rights groups such as Amnesty International have repeatedly accused the ISI of using its surveillance programmes to abduct rights activists alongside legitimate security targets.

Having an effective "track and trace" system would enable the country to continue to reopen businesses, Khan said.

"Track and trace is the best way [to combat the virus] and ... this is the only way if you want to restart your businesses."

Cases of the coronavirus in Pakistan have spiked this week, hitting at least 11,115 cases, with 237 fatalities and more than 2,527 patients having recovered, government data shows.

The Pakistani government began to ease its lockdown last week, opening up more than a dozen sectors of the economy in order to stave off spiralling unemployment.

The government has also launched an $8bn economic stimulus package, including funds for low-income families to be disbursed through $75 grants. So far, it has disbursed roughly $390m in funds to more than 5.2 million people.

The telethon on Thursday was meant to help fund the government's welfare programme for low-income families, gathering more than $3.4m in contributions from individuals and organisations.

Comment by Riaz Haq on April 26, 2020 at 9:29pm

#US Sec of State Mike Pompeo recommends to #Trump to continue funding WHO programs to fight #polio and #coronavirus in seven countries: #Afghanistan, #Egypt, #Libya, #Pakistan, #Sudan, #Syria and #Turkey. https://www.union-bulletin.com/news/world/bc-mct-international-bjt/...

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has recommended that the U.S. keep funding World Health Organization programs to fight polio and coronavirus in seven countries, a recognition that the group provides key services in some areas despite President Donald Trump's criticism.

State Department officials informed the National Security Council that the WHO is central to the fight against COVID-19 or polio in seven countries: Afghanistan, Egypt, Libya, Pakistan, Sudan, Syria and Turkey, said a person familiar with the discussions. Adhering to the letter of Trump's order from last week to halt all U.S. funding to WHO for a 60- to 90-day review would therefore be unworkable.

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