Fifth coronavirus case confirmed in Pakistan.

Islamabad: Health officials on Tuesday confirmed a fifth case of the novel coronavirus in Pakistan and identified the patient as a 45-year-old woman from the remote Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region who is believed to have been infected in Iran. Minister of State for Health Dr Zafar Mirza made the revelation on his official Twitter handle. The patient has recently been to Iran. He wouldn't name her and also requested the media to respect the privacy of the patient and her family.The patient has been shifted to the isolation ward of a local hospital in Gilgit, while her family members are also being screened for the highly infectious virus. The minister assured the patient is stable and being taken care of. Schools and other educational institutes in GB have been closed till March 7 following the confirmation of the COVID-19 cases in the region.GB Information Secretary Fida Husain reportedly confirmed the age of the patient and said she had recently returned from Iran.Geographically, GB shares a border with China and the government would decide in April whether or not to reopen the Khunjarab Pass border crossing with China.Khunjarab Pass, the only border crossing with China, is shut in winter as heavy snow makes driving on the Karakoram Highway extremely perilous. Usually, the border reopens in February, but this year the authorities decided to extend the closure following the viral outbreak in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.Of the five confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan, all had a history of travel to Iran. Two of the cases are in Karachi and three in GB, though officially Dr Zafar Mirza won't name the cities.Sindh, which had closed all educational institutes till March 1 following the official confirmation of the first case in Karachi, on Monday extended the closure till March 13. Provincial government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab on Tuesday denied reports that the educational institutes would remain shut until April 1.Despite repeated calls from government officials for calm, the confirmation of novel coronavirus cases has set rumour mills in motion and social media is becoming the main source of spreading disinformation and creating panic. The Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) on Tuesday sought to dispel rumours and misinformation regarding the number of coronavirus cases reported at the facility.AKUH is aware and has taken note of some individuals/groups posting fake and unsubstantiated news regarding the number of confirmed coronavirus...