ABSTRACT
Background The world has been hit with one of the deadliest pandemics in history. This pandemic has affected almost all countries and more than 50 million people globally. This paper takes an in-depth look at all government policies that were developed to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Pakistan and the perception of the general population regarding these policies. This study aims to provide help for policymakers to consider as they build more resilient regions. Methodology A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted online in Pakistan from April 2021 to September 2021. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed after obtaining informed consent. A sample size of 200 was calculated using the World Health Organization's (WHO) sample size calculator. The data analysis was performed using SPSS version 23 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA), and the data are presented in the form of frequency tables, bar charts, and pie charts. Results Of the 200 respondents, 71% were satisfied with government policies, and 28.5% were not satisfied. A total of 66.5% of respondents thought that government policies were effective in combating COVID-19. More than half (80%) of the participants believed that government policies have reduced the rate of COVID-19 spread, while 20% thought that the policies did not help in reducing the rate of spread. Overall, 96% of the respondents supported quarantine as a good step taken by the Pakistan government to prevent COVID-19. Conclusions The satisfaction rate of the general public regarding government policies developed to combat COVID-19 was 71.5%. Government strategies should be improved to counter the impact of large-scale epidemics, and further studies are required to educate the public. With an already fragile healthcare system, this can have long-lasting issues in developing countries as the world might be expecting a new challenge in the form of monkeypox.
ABSTRACT
Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS) is a rare variant of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) which usually presents with descending paralysis. Common symptoms are ophthalmoplegia, ataxia, and areflexia. Our case presented with an atypical presentation. A 52-year old lady presented to the neurology outpatient department with frequent falls, blurring and doubling of vision and difficulty swallowing. These symptoms followed mild non-bloody diarrhea for two weeks ago. She had bilateral ptosis, lateral gaze palsy in both eyes, absent gag and cough reflex; she was unable to walk in a straight line and had right-hand grip weakness. Other motor and sensory examination were normal. She was admitted, kept under observation and investigated accordingly. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis showed albuminocytologic dissociation. Nerve conduction studies showed slowed conduction in abducent, glossopharyngeal, vagus, and the right ulnar nerve. Blood analysis showed antiganglioside GQ1b antibodies; hence, the diagnosis of MFS, a variant of GBS, was made. Empirically plasmapheresis and then after confirmation intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) were used as treatment options. She recovered gradually within four weeks.
