‘Coronavirus less fatal in Pakistan than in other countries’

Islamabad (HRNW) The death rate from the novel coronavirus in Pakistan is two individuals for every 10 million people so the virus is not as fatal here as compared to other countries, said Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar.

In a media briefing on Sunday, he said that research proves that the fatality rates of COVID-19 in countries such as Pakistan and India is lesser than in western countries.

“We have adjusted these numbers accordingly to provide an accurate comparison to the public,” Umar said.

“If you look at articles and publications by the foreign media, they talk about flattening the curve,” he said, saying that this meant that importance was given to containing the disease rather than eradicating it.

The minister said that since the last five days, the average number of people dying from COVID-19 in Pakistan was 22. “This means that on an average 720 people can die from the virus in a month.”

According to another research, 4,800 people in the country die in a month from road accidents. “But have we closed the traffic?” Umar questioned. “No, because we know that doing that will bring several economic problems for the country.”

He said that, similarly, a complete lockdown in the country will bring with it multiple financial and economic constraints that are likely to cause more damage than the pandemic itself.