The Government of Pakistan recently announced a slow and steady lift of the nationwide lockdown in place. With the economy feeling the burden of the lockdown, it was inevitable.
Now, a renowned Pakistani doctor, a professor of medicine, Dr. Javed Akram has come out with startling claims. Prof. Dr. Javed Akram claims that if the lockdown is not extending, almost 143 million Pakistanis will contract coronavirus, and 4.3 million of them will die.
Source: KEMU
Prof. Dr. Javed Akram is an MBBS, FRCP (Ed), FRCP (Glasgow), MRCP (UK), FACP (USA), FACC (USA), FASIM (USA) and an MD. He is a diabetologist, an internal medicine specialist, an endocrinologist, and a consultant physician.
Dr. claims Pakistan looking for ‘herd immunity’ strategy
Prof. Dr. Javed states that the government is not able to implement the SOPs of the lockdown, right from the very beginning. Thus, the govt was now planning to lift the lockdown from 10th May 2020. This, in a bid to avoid financial losses in the country.
Source: facebook
The Dr. then said that the govt was choosing the ‘herd immunity’ strategy, something previously Sweden had tried and failed at miserably. He says that this meant that 65% of the total population will contract the virus, which is 143 million people. Out of the 143 million cases, there will be a 3% mortality rate. This means that over 4.3 million people will die in Pakistan due to coronavirus.
Source: voa
The seasoned professional said that it is a huge risk and gamble. Let us elaborate a little more on what ‘herd immunity’ strategy is. As per the Encyclopedia, Herd Immunity is: “the resistance to the spread of a contagious disease within a population that results if a sufficiently high proportion of individuals are immune to the disease, especially through vaccination.”
Sweden’s try at ‘herd immunity’
Sweden had implemented the same strategy from the very beginning of the coronavirus. Herd immunity basically looks to develop resistance in the human body for the virus. It is pertinent to add here that Sweden’s strategy cannot be a success, as the country has neared 3000 deaths already. Moreover, the Netherlands has been practicing the ‘herd immunity’ strategy as well.
Source: intermewcast
However, scientists and doctors in Sweden are positive that they will not deal with a ‘second wave’ of the virus due to the strategy. “In the autumn there will be a second wave. Sweden will have a high level of immunity and the number of cases will probably be quite low,” said Mr. Tignell, Sweden’s State Epidemiologist.
Only time will tell if Pakistan imposes the ‘herd immunity’ strategy and if it will be a success.
What do you think about this strategy? Let us know in the comments below.
