LAHORE: Calling it absolutely fake and misleading news, the vice chancellor of University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Lahore, Prof Nasim Ahmad has strongly rejected that the poultry products are a source of novel coronavirus.
Reacting to such reports circulating on social media, the VC said poultry, poultry products and other livestock products are absolutely safe and they have no link to the Covid-19.
UVAS focal person on Covid-19, Prof Tahir Yaqub said on the basis of scientific evidence throughout the world, it is declared that poultry is neither affected nor a source or carrier of the virus causing Covid-19.
He said poultry industry is providing livelihood to more than 1.5 million people in the country and this fake propaganda is a systematic effort of sick minds to damage the living of millions and taking away from the masses the cheapest source of protein which is essential for their immune system in the fight against Covid-19.
UVAS Department of Poultry Production chairman Dr Athar Mahmud has also rejected the news regarding virus in poultry and its relation with Covid-19 as baseless and fabricated. He said poultry meat is a premium protein source, available at a cheaper rate.
The VC said UVAS has earlier launched an awareness campaign on coronavirus in which frequently asked questions regarding Covid-19 virus transmission, epidemiology, immunology, bio-safety and role of food products were addressed by technical experts of the university.
He said UVAS has always refuted the fake news regarding veterinary issues and doing the same since the Covid-19 pandemic. The VC urged the people to find facts from these awareness videos of UVAS available on internet.
Prof Nasim said that the UVAS management is proactively doing its part of job in nation's fight against Covid-19. "The UVAS new BSL-3 Laboratory is functional since April 7, 2020, and has so far tested more than 7,000 Covid-19 suspected human samples in collaboration with the Punjab Health Department," the VC said, adding that the UVAS research team is not only engaged in Covid-19 diagnosis but its experts are also evaluating personnel protective equipment for production of biologically safe and high quality PPEs.
He urged the people not to believe in the propaganda and follow facts to remain safe in this dire situation.
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