PM Imran Khan tests negative for coronavirus

Prime Minister Imran was tested for Covid-19 after it emerged that Faisal Edhi, son of world-famous philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi and chairman of the Edhi Foundation, had contracted the virus. “Prime minister will undergo Covid-19 test as he met philanthropist Faisal Edhi who later tested positive for the deadly virus,” Dr Sultan had said on Tuesday at a news conference. Faisal Edhi had visited the prime minister last week in Islamabad and handed over a cheque for Rs10 million to the prime minister for his coronavirus relief fund.

An official of the National Institute of Health (NIH) had said yesterday that as per the Standard Operating Procedures, all contacts of a confirmed Covid-19 patient should be tested. When asked about the definition of a contact, he said any person who had talked to a confirmed patient for 15 minutes in a closed room or stood at a distance of less than six feet was called a contact.

“Though according to Faisal Edhi he spent just a few minutes with the premier, the picture we have seen in newspapers showed that the distance between the two personalities was less than six feet. Though they did not shake hands, the virus can be transferred through cheque,” the official had said. Meanwhile, Faisal Edhi in a video statement urged his team to continue their welfare activities, saying he would join them after having recovered from Covid-19.

Saad Edhi, a son of Faisal Edhi, told Dawn in Karachi that his father had developed Covid-19 symptoms a day after meeting Prime Minister Imran. The impact of symptoms, he added, continued for four days and then subsided. However, on Monday, he got tested in Islamabad and on Tuesday his report came as positive.

Saad said his father’s health was better and he was in self-isolation, adding that he was not admitted to any hospital.

Dr Sultan had revealed earlier in the day that the premier’s samples had been collected and the test results were expected soon.