Thread by @awaissaleem77

IK again used U.S. as a benchmark to justify no lockdown and assure people that Pakistan's numbers are low in comparison.

This is a thread for some basic fact-checking. /1

U.S. has conducted 21.3 million tests & 1.98 million positive cases (9.2% of total).

Pakistan has only tested 705k so far & 103k have been positive (14.6% of total).

During last few days, ~ 25% of daily tests are positive in Pakistan. But testing is low & numbers misleading.

Death rate in Pakistan (2067 / 103k) is almost 2% of the positive cases whereas the U.S. death rate is almost 6%.

But there is a caveat here.

Every death (covid 19 or otherwise) is accounted for in the U.S. Everywhere in Pakistan, unaccounted deaths are many times higher.

Testing in Pakistan costs 8-9k rupees, which means that several families are not getting tested (based on what doctors are saying). So actual spread is likely many times higher.

Testing for covid19 in the U.S. is totally free.

Now the question of lockdown. The U.S. is not reopening the country en masse. For the first 3-4, only essential services were allowed and police was strictly going after violators.

Since last month, states where curve is flattening have allowed partial reopening under SOPs.

There're states where the curve is flattening & then some states where cases are still increasing (mostly where lockdown was either late or reopening was premature).

Same is the case elsewhere in the world. Only those countries are easing restrictions where curve is flattening.

The point is IK should stop giving a false sense of security & "things are not as bad" to the public.

We're where we are because the govt didn't take proper steps & kept downplaying the threat. If they don't take action & keep blaming the public, it'll only aggravate. /*end*