The Aga Khan University Hospital

The last thing on anyone’s mind before booking a flight in 2020 was the possibility of wearing a hazmat suit to protect themselves during COVID-19 air travel, yet here we are. While the safest thing to do would be to stop all non-essential air travel while the pandemic is still at large, sometimes urgent family matters or work-related emergencies leave a person with no choice but to risk COVID-19 air travel . If you are considering air travel but feeling apprehensive, here are some safety precautions for air travel in COVID-19 you can take to stay safe; Check your local and destination guidelines regarding travel restrictions, quarantine and protocols. Make sure it’s an absolute necessity for you to travel. Air travel involves airport screenings, waiting in long queues and being in enclosed spaces for extended periods of time. All potential risk factors of COVID-19. Making sure to get COVID-19 testing for international travel before flying out. Maintain a social...

 The sharp decline of coronavirus in Pakistan is a welcoming but somewhat puzzling news to health professionals. According to the latest corona update in Pakistan, both the number of hospitalized cases and deaths have seen a steady drop. A few months ago, when the coronavirus was spreading like wildfire, a decline of more than 80% from its peak is really good news. The reasons of this decline are still unspecified but according to Dr Faisal Mehmood, a leading infectious diseases’ specialist at the Aga Khan University Hospital, “the role of innate, non-specific immunity in slowing down COVID-19 is not known. However, we do see a lot of sick people here as well. Research is ongoing on this.” He further added when asked about the possibility of humidity as a factor; “Yes and no. Very dry air may help the droplet particles travel further in closed, likely ventilated settings. However, very high humidity may also increase the viral spread.” Dr Rana Muhammad Safdar, an epidemiologist...