Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho said on Monday that 182 COVID-19 patients with mild or no symptoms have died in home isolation in the province so far.

The death toll in Sindh stands at 1,103.

“We are keeping records of both hospital and home
deaths,” said the health minister in a video statement.

The government contacts them daily for a follow-up as per the home isolation SOPs, she added. If they contact the helpline for an emergency, the government sends ambulances to bring them to a health facility.

Unfortunately, many people are scared to come to hospitals because of the pandemic so they don’t call and inform us when there are warning signs. Their condition worsens without intervention and it leads to death, Dr Pechuho said.

COVID-19 is a disease where sudden death can happen
due to cardiac or respiratory issues. If anyone who is isolated at home feels
they are getting worse or have difficulty breathing, contact hospitals
immediately, she advised.

“Keep an oximeter with you and keep checking oxygen
levels,” said the health minister.

She advised patients with mild symptoms who have underlying diseases to try and get admitted to a hospital. There are HDU beds available, however, there’s a shortage of ventilators in Sindh’s hospitals at the moment.

There are 71,092 COVID-19 cases in Sindh as of Monday, out of which 32,945 are under treatment, according to Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah. Hospitals are treating 1,508 patients while 47 are in isolation centres and 31,390 in home isolation.