Symptoms of coronavirus are similar to general cold-related complications what is why health experts are finding it difficult to detect the genuine cases of the virus infections. According to IEDCR, the national agency for conducting disease surveillance and outbreak investigation, people with fever and cough are calling its helpline suspecting they are infected with coronavirus and seeking test.
They are contributing to a rise in the number of sample tests for the deadly virus (COVID-19) making it hard for the agency to detect genuine coronavirus cases, IEDCR officials said. IEDCR (Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research) data show nearly 496,000 people called have so far called the helpline due to their confusion.
The agency officials said every day nearly 30,000 people call the helpline for advice and that most of the calls are related to cold disease which are similar to corona infections. IEDCR has confirmed 20 cases of infection until Friday. It has, however, dismissed the claim of several experts that the disease has already gone in the phase of community transmission.
According to IEDCR officials, the detection rate of the sample test is 4 percent. They said more test centres are being opened in a short period of time to facilitate required number of sample tests. Health experts suggest proper examination of coronavirus infection suspects saying any flaw in the sample test might invite a disaster.
“If the result of any coronavirus positive case comes as negative mistakenly, it will be disastrous. The person concerned will feel safe and move around, spreading it to other people,” said Prof Abul Kalam Azad. Officials said the government has increased the scope of sample test along with IEDCR. Several establishments have been set up in Dhaka and outside for sample examination.
A coronavirus testing kit invented by Gonosasthya Hospital has been approved, creating scope for test of a large number of samples in a very short period of time.