Analyzing infection flows of coronavirus transmission across the country, public health experts warned that this month could be the riskiest for the country if physical distancing is not maintained.
They also earnestly advised people to stay in their respective residences; and foreign returnees to follow guidelines of home quarantine, and maintain strictly physical distancing if they go out.
Talking to Bangladesh Post, physician and medicine professor at a private medical college in the capital, Maruf Talukder said, “We are in phase 2 of transmission, whether it would be rational to comment on community transmission, we don’t have sufficient figures for that. The government has started collecting and sample testing in bulk from Friday. But I can sense from my working experience in an African hospital, this month is the riskiest.”
If you want your family, society, and country to be safe and contain the deadly virus, you have to maintain physical distance. I know it’s hard for poor people, I would urge government to extend their helping hands towards them,” he added.
Former Vice-Chancellor and Virologist Professor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dr Nazrul Islam said,” The government's decision on the coronavirus issue has been delayed. There was extreme negligence and failure of the responsible people who could not enforce self-quarantine. Since everyone cannot be placed in the institutional quarantine, it was necessary to give the utmost importance to ensuring their home quarantine.”
“Now people at the grassroots level are also at risk.” He urged to ensure quarantine of the people who had returned to villages on an emergency basis.
About 10 million people left the capital after the government declared 10-day general holiday to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the country from March 26.
Health Minister Zahid Maleque has requested all to remain home in this crisis period by following physical distancing. He also urged media outlets to deliver awareness news and advice against the Coronavirus.
Regarding the Corona sample testing laboratory, he explained that the "COVID-19 disease detection test is underway in 14 laboratories in the country. There are 9 labs in Dhaka and five outside of capital. Three more labs are being prepared in three divisional cities.”
He also laid emphasis on testing, while adding, "Hopefully everyone will come for the test. You will be safe, if you test, you will know your condition. It will also keep your family safe.
The Minister said that 71 thousand testing kits and 64 thousand 110 safety clothing; personal protection equipment (PPE) have been stored in the Department of Health for RT-PCR examination to detect coronavirus. He urged doctors to do more tests.
Besides, the government has a plan to provide food assistance to at least 30 million people who need emergency aid at the moment, and a three-tier plan has been taken up to address the situation.
Taking the toll to eight, Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) confirmed two more new deaths from COVID-19 in Bangladesh on Saturday during its regular online briefing.
Nearly, 434 samples have been tested in the last 24 hours (Friday) where nine were found infected with the deadly coronavirus. A total of 30 patients recovered and returned home.
A journalist of private channel Independent Television got infected with the novel coronavirus. He is on vacation for the last nine days, Independent Television's Head of News Mamun Abdullah told the media on Friday.
In the meantime, on Friday evening, three doctors and 15 medical staff of a private hospital in Chattogram have been asked to home quarantine as they treated a coronavirus patient in the hospital.
Fever, cough and respiratory patients across the country and capital Dhaka are getting refused any sort of treatment by government and private hospitals, people have alleged repeatedly. On the other hand, blaming shortages of personal protection equipment (PPE) for health workers and doctors, a large number of hospitals are mercilessly refusing to treat suffering patients, which has become a common scenario throughout the country.
Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (NCRP) has started special drives at private hospitals in the capital to ensure doctors' presence. Many general patients complain that presence of doctors at the hospital is decreasing day by day fearing deadly coronavirus.
NCRP Deputy Director (DD) Manzur Mohammad Shahriar said from Saturday morning, they conducted drives at popular hospitals in Dhaka.