According to data from provincial authorities, 512 dengue cases have been reported in Karachi this month, with a total of 947 cases in the province of Sindh. Karachi reports the highest number of deaths from the dengue virus. Healthcare experts predict that the actual figures could be higher as there is a severe lack of data from hospitals and individual patients as well. The cases of infection and deaths were reported from major tertiary care private and public sector units and a selected number of labs. This data does not include the patients who reported their symptoms at general physicians and at the hospital’s Out-Patient Department (OPD).
Dengue Virus has a higher mortality rate compared to other viruses like COVID-19. With changing climate and weather conditions, new variants of the virus are emerging. This new development has not been reported in hospitals and health care units. Moreover, the acceleration of the pace at which the virus proliferates in urban areas is adding to the list of complications involved in treating this disease. It is also noteworthy, that since most dengue patients develop mild symptoms of the disease, they don’t consult a proper physician unless they develop more severe symptoms.
According to policymakers in the healthcare sector, the dengue virus can be largely prevented if the sanitary conditions of the city are improved. If periodic and regular fumigation campaigns are implemented, the infection rates can drastically decline. Furthermore, the government also plans to tackle the dengue virus with a comprehensive dengue surveillance program under which breeding programs are identified and eliminated
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