The number of COVID19-infected people will rise day by day as more suspected people are being tested, while experts urge an increase in the volume of sample data as much as possible for further evaluation and planning. Public health experts have emphasized mass testing to track the virus transmission among communities.
They also said to assemble all the data for further decision against combating the deadly corona virus. The highest death from coronavirus in 24 hours up to Friday was 15 people, taking the death toll in the country to 75. Besides, 266 people tested positive for coronavirus during the period, taking the number of such cases in the country to 1838, according to daily health bulletin of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).
In the last 24 hours, 2,190 samples were tested across the country. Nine more patients recovered during the period, taking the total to 58. Medicine Specialist and Professor Z M Kabir Chowdhury talking to Bangladesh Post said, “This is a timely decision on testing on a mass scale. Yes, we have limitations to address, but the rising number of covid-19 samples has a broader significance as the health department will make decisions based on this test information,”
Testing samples will sort out suspected corona patients and eventually help to track the transmission. Do more tests and positive result patients must be quarantined immediately from non-corona people, he added. Former Vice-Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Nazrul Islam said, “There is no alternative to fighting the disease other than social distancing and maintaining hygiene. Wearing mask is must for commoners and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for doctors.”
Patients should not hide from doctors if they suffer corona disease symptoms, and should test and be quarantined for safety. He also suspects that the numbers COVID-19 infected patients is higher than that in the data we are getting. However, the available data will help us undoubtedly. The World Health Organisation recommends that the more people stay at home, the better the chances of the virus not getting opportunities to infect people. It also recommends using protective gear in public to minimize risk of spreading the disease.
The number of infections and deaths from coronavirus is rising, people who earlier cared less about their health safety are now beginning to take the matter more seriously. More people are now found to be conscious about health safety in the face of increasing corona outbreak. This was evident when increasing numbers of people outdoors were seen wearing face masks, hand-gloves or some even covering their entire body to protect themselves from possible transmission of coronavirus.
At least eight journalists, including six in Dhaka, have been infected with cornavirus, while the sources of most of their infections have remained untraced with only one of them having recent history of travelling abroad. Of them, six were employees of five private television channels and two were employees of two dailies, said Dhaka Reporters’ Unity president Rafiqul Islam Azad.
The infected journalists included one who and his six family members, including a three-month baby, were also infected, said the DRU president. The first case of journalist getting infected by the new coronavirus was detected on April 3 when a video journalist of Independent Television tested positive for the virus.
