If coronavirus (Covid-19) infection spreads to country’s remote villages, situation will take a serious turn, experts warned. They point out that there is no science-based report in government’s hand for evaluation of risk factor at the national level. Such as how many people can be infected or what medical system would be effective if crisis reached the grassroots level.
When some government officials were asked they denied giving any comment on this. According to a published news of Voice of America (VOA) at least 58 people died from March 18 to April 2 due to diseases with symptoms like Covid-19. Public Health experts cast doubt on capability of government in combating if situation worsens at grassroots level.
The government disease-monitoring agency Institute for Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) for the first time on March 24 also suspected limited community transmission in Dhaka. However, they are in the dark regarding whole figure of the country. Renowned physician Dr A B M Abdullah thinks there is no way to be happy regarding less affected country scenario. Once the infection spreads at grassroots level, it would be difficult to handle the situation, he added.
Some public health experts have also questioned IEDCR’s process of collecting sample from corpses for corona symptoms. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that after death germs can no longer survive in the body. National Polio and Measles Laboratory (NPML), Virologist Khandaker Mahbub Jamil told the media in this regard, “How long the corona virus can survive in a dead body depends on temperature and various factors. It can be assumed, however, virus can remain active two to three hours in the body.”
For collected samples WHO’s guideline must be followed, he added. Common people allege that many general patients across the country and capital Dhaka are being refused treatment by government and private hospitals. Fever, cough and respiratory patients cannot even get a chance to know what has really happened to them.
Blaming shortages of personal protection equipment (PPE) for health workers and doctors, a large number of hospitals are mercilessly refusing to treat patients, which has become a common scenario throughout the country. 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 were 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 these people who returned to the village on an emergency basis. About 10 million mobile subscribers left the capital after the government declared 10-day general holiday to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the country from March 26.
Big Gen Ziaul Ahsan, director, National Telecom Monitoring Centre (NTMC), said 1.6 million of them are Banglalink subscribers, 4.6 million Grameenphone, 3.5 million Robi and 250,000 Teletalk users. As the mobile users left Dhaka, their relatives and house helps also went to their villages. So, the total number might be 15 to 20 million people who left the capital, he added.
Matt Boyce, a senior research associate at Georgetown University's Center for Global Health Science and Security in the United States, recently told the international media, "Urban residents are at greater risk of spreading the deadly virus. Those living in rural areas are less at risk. Cities with high population density can play a big role in the spread of coronavirus. '
At the regular press conference of the IEDCR yesterday, the Prime Minister said that suspected samples to be collected from all the upazilas by Thursday. Upazila health officials have been directed to collect samples from the homes of people. The government is preparing to test the virus in government medical colleges and hospitals.
The number of novel coronavirus cases rose to 61 in the country with five more persons infected with the virus in the last 24 hours. But, no death was reported during the period, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque in an online briefing on Friday. He also said that a total of 26 patients have recovered from the virus and returned home. Bangladesh has so far reported six deaths from coronavirus till Thursday.
