KARACHI: At least one patient died of COVID-19 every 80 minutes in Sindh as the health authorities confirmed as many as 18 coronavirus related fatalities in the last 24 hours ending at 8 am on May 12, pushing the tally of such deaths to 218 for the province where 593 new cases of the novel infection were reported during the day.

The latest one day’s death tally was the all days’ highest in the province. Earlier, Sindh reported a single day maximum 14 deaths on May 7, while on average nine deaths per day during the week from May 5 to 11.

The swift rise in deaths toll in Sindh has once again raised concerns among the citizens, particularly when coronavirus restrictions have eased two days back.

The citizens were of the view that relaxing lockdown measures could result in a rapid escalation of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Sindh and rest of the country.

People were left wondering and anxious as to why the COVID-19 patients were failing to survive, particularly when the authorities in the government claimed time and again that ventilators were available in adequate quantity for the critically ill patients at various designated hospitals.

“It seems that they are dying on their way from filtration points and triages to emergency sections and intensive care units,” a keen observer felt, questioning that why didn’t the hospitals concerned and the Sindh health department give elaborate details about patients’ death and ensure the post death examinations and autopsies of the bodies.

An internationally acclaimed infectious diseases epidemiologist, Dr Rana Mohammad Safdar, a federal government personnel, remarked that the world was still in process of learning the novel pathogen.

“We have been closely monitoring less than expected load on ventilators and quick deterioration of patients. It is emerging that the virus attacks respiratory system but hurts cardiovascular system more profoundly causing micro clots that clogs the blood vessels interrupting supply to different organs,” he elaborated.

He suggested that the key message to public may be taking the best possible care of elders and people with comorbidities for preventing infection, and if infected, taking early hospital care before symptoms got worsened.

“Those with pre-lying comorbidities and compromised systems get more severely affected.”

A senior physician and a former senior office bearer of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), Dr Samreena Hashmi, regretted that the situation was deteriorating day by day.

“Virus is present in a significant number of people; may be millions. However, less than five percent are moderate to severely ill and their medical management should not be any problem for the care providers.”

On the other hand, the Sindh health department once again simply released the number of deceased patients and their ages. At Karachi, 15 COVID-19 patients, including three women and 12 men, lost their lives in the last 24 hours ending May 12 at 8 am.

The deceased included a young man of 26 also, while other deceased men and women were living in the age brackets of 37 to 85 years. Another two deaths were reported from Larkana (a man of 63) and Sanghar (a women of 55) while about the last deceased patient, the official summary said that she was a women, aged 60 years, an out of province resident.

As far as the new COVID-19 cases were confirmed, Karachi failed to see any improved condition as it reported another 453 new infections, against 448 of May 12.

Among other districts of the province, Jacobabad reported the maximum 41 new cases, followed by Hyderabad (24), Ghotki (22), Sukkur (9), Sanghar (9), Kashmore (6), Tando Allahyar (4), Jamshoro (3), Larkana (3), Dadu (2), Tando Mohammad Khan (2), Khairpur (2) and Shikarpur (2) while Kambar Shahdadkot, Mirpurkhas and Matiari presented one new case each.

With 593 new positive cases, the tally of infections reached to 12,610, out of a total 99,117 samples tested in Sindh since February 26 when the first COVID case was detected. As many as 80 patients recovered from the diseases during the last 24 hours–PNFS