Health

KARACHI: The health department has recently sent a sample of a suspected new variant of dengue virus to the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), sources told on Thursday. The step, they said, was taken following a sharp increase in dengue cases in Karachi and reports that the disease was emerging with more severity this year. According to the official data, …

ISLAMABAD: As the arrival of winter has increased the rate of Covid-19 infections in several countries, Pakistan’s positivity rate, which remained less than one per cent for the past six days, went up to 1pc on Thursday. According to data of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), 460 people were infected with Covid-19 and 10 died over the past …

RAWALPINDI: Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ali on Wednesday asked District Health Authority to lodge cases against those school owners who refused to allow the teams to vaccinate the children against measles and rubella. He made the directive during the meeting to review the Measles and Rubella vaccination campaign in the district. The meeting was also attended by district officials and representatives …

ISLAMABAD: An international study conducted by TikTok revealed that 31pc of teens exposed to hoaxes online had experienced a negative impact, with 63pc saying it was affecting their mental health. After the study, TikTok has strengthened its protection efforts by removing warning videos involving self-harm hoaxes. A survey was conducted with participation from 10,000 people including teens, parents and teachers …

Pfizer Inc said on Tuesday it is seeking US authorisation of its experimental antiviral Covid-19 pill that cut the chance of hospitalisation or death for adults at risk of severe disease by 89 per cent in a clinical trial. Pfizer said it completed submission of its application for emergency use authorisation (EUA) of the drug, Paxlovid, with the US Food …

ISLAMABAD: The lowest positivity rate for Covid-19 and the least number of infections were reported on Tuesday in the country for the past 14 months. According to data shared by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), the positivity rate dropped to 0.64 per cent with 216 infections over the last 24 hours. Earlier, 213 cases were reported on August …

NEW DELHI: India’s Supreme Court told authorities on Monday to shut offices in the capital and nearby cities, allowing millions to work from home as officials seek ways to reduce hazardous air pollution that led to the closure of schools. Its action came after city authorities in New Delhi, which has been battling a toxic haze since early Nov­ember, took emergency measures …

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has lowered its Covid-19 travel risk advisory to “Level One: Low” for Pakistan, India, Japan, Liberia, Gambia and Mozambique after a drop in coronavirus infections in the six countries. In August this year, the CDC had issued a “Level 2 Travel Health Notice” for Pakistan, indicating a moderate level of Covid-19 in the …

COPENHAGEN: Prem­ature deaths caused by fine particle air pollution have fallen 10 percent annually across Europe, but the invisible killer still accounts for 307,000 premature deaths a year, the European Environment Agency said on Monday. If the latest air quality guidelines from the World Health Organisation were followed by EU members, the latest number of fatalities recorded in 2019 could …

ISLAMABAD: While 1.7 million people were vaccinated against Covid-19 in two days, federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar called on Monday for maintaining the vaccination rate in all parts of the country. In another development, the Punjab government, during its reach every door (RED) campaign, has vaccinated 12.5 million people in just 16 days. According to …