Coronavirus pandemic that anguishgly devastated the world order is seemngly exposing Bangladesh to widespread outbreak as a significant number of people have been infected with the virus within a few days after the expiry of one month of first infection. As a result, Bangladesh has reached the last stage of coronavirus infection, which is called fourth level. That means, many people will be infected with this coronavirus, many people will have to go to hospitals while death toll will increase. Experts said the only way to bring the situation under control is to stay at home, build a preventive system, and increase testing.
The virus can create a dangerous situation if infection can not be prevented by strictly ensuring social distance. Under these circumstances, there has been a need to make lockdown in the country more stringent and also to extend general leave. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said ‘There is a trend to increase corona patients throughout the world. So our time has come. We have to be very careful in this month.’
So far the total number of coronavirus affected people in the country stands at 424 and death toll is 27. The highest number of affected was 112 on Thursday. Some 269 peoples were diagnosed with the virus on the six day of last week. Infection has spread in at least 21 districts, including Dhaka, the IEDCR said. There are also community transmissions in four districts. However, most of the community infections are in Narayanganj district. Out of five clusters, the infection did not increase in Gaibandha. But after recovering from coronavirus, few people were also infected again in Madaripur, indicating a bad sign.
Virologist Prof Nazrul Islam told The Bangladesh Post that having the ability to test, it was not right to rely on only one institute-- IEDCR. The government has increased the scope of the test even though it is late. But the sample collection rate is very poor. "We had many opportunities. But it's too late to take proper action. Some of these steps were also wrong. For example, the quarantine system in Ashkona for overseas returnees was cancelled and they were sent to home quarantine, which was a big mistake. On the other hand, the garment workers’ coming to Dhaka, was also not a good decesion. It has increased the risk of infection,” he added.
Nazrul further said “We lack right information about the people who came from abroad. At first we have missed that opportunity. However, now we have to find out coroavirus affected people by increasing sample tests and isolate them accordingly”.
The World Health Organization divides the countries of the world into four levels based on coronavirus infections and its prevalence. Level-1 falls when no one is detected. If identification of persons from abroad and the transmission occur one after another, then it is called Level-2. If the infection is restricted to certain areas it is Level-3. And Level-4 is when infection spreads widely among the population.
On April 5, Mirzadi Sabrina, director of the IEDCR, said Bangladesh had entered the third stage of infection. She said that transmission has been spread to five clusters areas including Tolarbagh and Basabo of Dhaka, Narayanganj, Shivchor of Madaripur and Sadullahpur of Gaibandha district.
Abul Kalam Azad, director general of the health department, told reporters that Bangladesh, like all other countries, is behind the virus. The virus is such that there is no scope to go ahead. He said the diagnosis, isolation system and treatment- all are done after the infection. However, effective measures have been taken to reduce the infection.
Of late, the government has taken several steps. Earlier IEDCR was the only institute to go for testing, but currently the test of samples is being done in 16 laboratories. The government has so far designated 9 hospitals for the treatment of Covid-19. The number of beds in these hospitals is 1330. ICUs will be needed to treat patients with complex Covid-19 patients. But the total ICU beds in the public and private sectors are less than 1,200.
Professor Saif Ullah Munshi, Head of Virology Department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) said “We may be able to identify the patients in this situation, but how well is our health sector prepared for patient management? Do we have enough ICUs, ventilators and doctors? Handling the patient will be the biggest challenge. "
He said “First of all, the state should be very strict so that people do not come out of their homes without need. The second is to enhance the facilities of testing and to ensure proper medical care for the victims. Thirdly, ensuring food for poor people. In this regard initiatives of individuals and private organizations are necessary. In addition, regular motivational campaigns should be increased. People have to maintain social distance and wash hands with soap regularly. The law enforcers need to be more vigilant at this time.”
In those countries where there is a wide spread of coronavirus after China, the highest infection has been detected between 38 and 76 days after the first infection. Although the number of diagnoses depends on the number of samples tested. It is estimated that infections occur in most countries within a month and a half to two months after the first infection.
More than 4 lakh people have been identified in the United States, becoming the current 'epicenter' of coronavirus infection. One month after the first coronvirus disease was diagnosed in the United States; only 20 people were diagnosed. After 76 days, the highest number of 32,105 people were infected in a day.
Only 13 people were infected in one month after the first identification of the case in Spain. The maximum number of people identified in a day was 9,222. In Italy, at the top of the death toll, 238 people were infected in one day after a month, and 53 days later it reached 6557 in a single day.
Some 1046 people were affected after one month in Iran. After 42 days, 3186 people were identifed with coronavirus infection in a day. And in the UK, the highest number of infections was detected only 20 peoples in a day after one month and 67 days later it reached 5903. On March 8, IEDCR announced that three patients with coronavirus have been identified in Bangladesh. On March 13, the IEDCR said one of the three people with coronavirus recovered. No new patient was found.
On March 17, IEDCR reported that they had tested 20 samples in the past 24 hours. The first death toll from coronavirus infection occurred in Bangladesh on March 18. After 2 days, on March 20, the total infection stood at 25. The IEDCR reported on March 29 and 27 that no coronavirus patients were identified. It also reported that 15 of the infected have recovered. IEDCR said on March 30, a new person was diagnosed with coronavirus infection and 19 recovered.
On April 5, more 18 new coronavirus patient have been identified. One of them died. On April 6, the number of newly diagnosed patients increased to 35. Three more died. On April 7, more 41 people were newly infected with coronavirus in the country, and five people died. On April 8, IEDCR said that the number of infected stood at 54 and 3 died.
