Coronavirus infections amongst healthcare workers cross 10,000

More than 10,000 healthcare workers have been infected with the deadly coronavirus in Pakistan to date, a sign of the threat the virus poses to doctors and nurses who are on the front lines.

This comes at a time when COVID-19 cases in Pakistan have again picked up the pace, as health officials warn of a second wave gripping the country. There are now more than 370,000 cases of the coronavirus and 7,700 deaths. Globally, Pakistan is the 28th most impacted country by the pandemic, in terms of cases, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

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As stress on the healthcare system increases, 10,050 healthcare workers have tested positive for the illness and 98 have died to date, records the ministry of national health services in a report dated November 24. Of those infected, 63% are doctors.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has reported the highest number of infections amongst medics, with a total tally of 2,686 to date. Followed by Punjab, with 2,638, Sindh, with 2,578, Islamabad, with 867, Balochistan, with 611, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, with 460, and Gilgit Baltistan, with 210.

The most number of deaths, however, have been reported in Sindh, where 34 healthcare workers have died due to the virus, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which has reported 24 deaths.