EDITORIAL: Now that it’s pretty clear that the Covid virus is making a comeback across the world – particularly in the Americas, Western Pacific and European regions – and it is expected to come to Pakistan also, the government will have to make sure it is ahead of the curve this time as well. 200,000 doses of Pfizer vaccines are expected to arrive in the country in the coming week, which is appreciated because it shows that authorities have done their homework in time.
The new, mutated form of Covid, called JN.1 and classified as a Variant of Interest (VOI), has so far been declared “less severe” than other strains by health experts, but it is still considered more transmissible. That makes the “high-risk population”, especially elderly people with low immunity, more vulnerable to it.
It’s also important to note that Covid seems to have de-escalated from a pandemic to a regular virus, which will require periodic vaccinations, just like the flu. But that does not in any way mean that governments can become complacent about the kind of threat it might still turn into.
Pakistan stood out as one of the countries that handled the first, deadliest wave of Covid the best. The country had only one complete shutdown, that too for a few days, and managed subsequent waves much better than the rest of the world. Yet while all that was and continues to be appreciated, the bitter truth about such things is that the good work of the past can still go to waste if equally good care is not taken whenever this virus comes back.
For, there is always every chance that the new, more transmissible variant can spread very quickly, especially in Punjab where persistent smog has already left much of the population struggling with breathing and respiratory diseases, and overwhelm the healthcare infrastructure.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) also needs to get its act together. It will need to move beyond merely classifying the new variant as a VOI and make sure there are no bottlenecks, like last time, in vaccine delivery to wherever it is needed the most.
One of the lessons of the previous experience was how poor countries were unable to mobilise necessary resources in time to prevent mass suffering, even deaths.
Such mistakes should not be repeated. The UN and its affiliate outfits have gathered enough experience and data from that experience to perform better this time. And the only thing that can still compromise a proper response is unnecessary delays in getting off the mark.
It’s also important to understand that the world has not seen the end of Covid yet. But it has adapted to this threat. It will, like other viruses, become a feature of life that just must be dealt with appropriately. And since the whole world is still getting used to it, governments everywhere will have to take the lead in ensuring everything is done in an orderly manner.
The Pakistani government, so far, seems on the right track. The most important thing now is to match vaccine demand with supply, which seems to be appropriately taken care of for the time being.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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