Pakistani doctor reveals reason behind curbing Covid-19

Dr Kulsoom says body makes antibodies after viral infection, which protects them from recurrent ones

KARACHI:

A doctor at the National Institute for Hematology has discovered the reason behind the decline in the spread of coronavirus in Pakistan, which garnered accolades from the United Nations, China and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

“After every type of viral infection, the body makes antibodies. These antibodies protect a person from recurrent infections,” Dr Samreen Kulsoom wrote in her study published in the Oxford University Journal of Public Health.

The research report states that by July 2020, 40% of the population in Karachi was infected with the coronavirus, while 90 per cent of those affected showed no symptoms of the disease.

According to the report, the development of immunity against the virus in Karachi has resulted in a significant reduction in new Covid-19 cases, while the death rate has also remained low, which was also acknowledged by the WHO.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Kulsoom said, “From July to September, 60 per cent of the population in Karachi has a clear chance of developing antibodies against the corona virus as there are various viral infections in the country, including Karachi due to which the majority of the people have developed immunity.”

Kulsoom predicted that if the second wave of coronavirus hits Karachi, it would be very limited

She said, “If antibodies were made in 60 to 70% of the population, the country would be safe from the second expected wave of coronavirus after which a vaccine would not be required.”

On the second wave of Covid-19 in Pakistan, Pakistan Infection Society President Dr Rafiq Khanani told The Express Tribune that the severity of coronavirus will be weaker than the first phase because the immunity of Pakistani people is very high as compared to those in Asian countries. “Respiratory immune system is very strong in Pakistan.”

On the first wave of Covid-19 in Pakistan, Khanani said that due to improved immunity in the general population, there has been a significant reduction in the severity of the virus. “Now the virus is spreading less. Where it is spreading, the devastation is diminishing.

“Immunity has led to changes in the structure of the virus, which has reduced its ability to spread; therefore, the second wave in Pakistan will not be severe.”

Khanani advised people with weakened immune systems to be careful.

After the first wave of Covid 19, its side effects are now beginning to show, he said, adding that people have more heart attacks, memory loss, mental retardation, strokes, weakness, cramps, and kidney disease.