Three more Bangladeshis—an elderly couple who flew in from Saudi Arabia and another returnee from Italy—have been hospitalised with possible coronavirus symptoms. However, the three patients who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier are stable, and the country now has five additional thermal scanners to curb the spread of the virus.
So far, 12 persons have been quarantined to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Eight people who returned from abroad were isolated on suspicions of coronavirus infections, while four others were placed in institutional quarantine elsewhere, said the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).
IEDCR director Dr Meerjady Sabrina Flora disclosed the information at a regular press briefing held at the institute in Dhaka yesterday. “The three patients who tested positive for COVID19 are now stable. However, they will be released from the hospital only if two of their samples test negative consecutively,” she said.
Speaking of the eight persons who have been kept in isolation, the IEDCR director said that their samples had been collected to determine whether they were infected. “In general, an individual is placed in 14-day isolation if they show symptoms of a coronavirus infection. The eight persons have to be kept under observation as per the procedure, even though some have tested negative for the virus,” she added.
Returnees from Saudi Arabia sent to hospital from Dhaka airport
Two elderly Bangladeshis who arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport from Saudi Arabia with high temperatures were immediately sent to a Dhaka hospital.
Airport director Group Captain AHM Touhid-ul Ahsan said that the couple landed at the airport on Tuesday. “As they were running high temperatures, they were sent to Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Government Hospital for further check-ups,” he added.
“At the airport, we are now maintaining records of individuals who show symptoms of a coronavirus infection, along with the details of other passengers and crew members travelling on the same flights, including information on where the passengers stopped for transits. We are keeping all records to be able to track them down if need be,” he also said.
Besides the couple, five persons who returned from abroad, including a two-year-old, were hospitalised after being detected with possible coronavirus symptoms by the airport authorities.
Italy returnee hospitalised with fever
Another Bangladeshi who returned from Italy was running a fever and has been placed in an isolation ward at Chandpur’s Matlab Uttar Upazila Health Complex.
Chandpur civil surgeon Dr Md Shakhawat Ullah said: “The 60-year-old man entered Bangladesh on March 5. He had fever and dysentery and came to Matlab Uttar Upazila Health Complex. He has been placed in an isolation ward there. On Monday night, experts from IEDCR collected blood samples from him.”
IEDCR received 2,778 calls on coronavirus
Speaking about the hotlines set up by IEDCR, Dr Meerjady said: “2,778 calls came in over the last 24 hours.”
“Twenty-five people came in for sample tests at the IEDCR and seven new samples have been collected. So far, a total of 127 samples have been collected. Although no new cases have been found, four people have been quarantined and eight are in isolation,” she added.
She urged those who return from abroad to stay at home for 14 days as a precaution. “Also, keep in mind that not all people returning from abroad are infected with the coronavirus. However, if anybody shows any symptoms, they must call the IEDCR hotlines,” she emphasised.
Dr Meerjady also urged people not to panic and provided assurance that the situation in Bangladesh is not serious. “Washing your hands thoroughly for 20 seconds with any soap available in the market does the job of killing the virus,” she said, adding that there is no need to panic-buy sanitisers.
The IEDCR director said that three hospitals in Dhaka have been classified as “isolation” hospitals. “I cannot specify the names of the hospitals at this time. Moreover, isolation systems have been set up separately in each hospital outside Dhaka,” she added.
New thermal scanners for airports and land ports
To support efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has supplied five new thermal scanners to key international airports and ports of the country.
“Two additional thermal scanners have been placed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, one at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram, one at Osmani International Airport in Sylhet, and one at Benapole land port,” the line director at the Centre for Disease Control of DGHS, Dr Shahnila Ferdousi, said.
The lone thermal scanner at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport had stopped working on Monday night. “It has been working again since noon yesterday following repair work,” the director said.
Meanwhile, the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education asked all offices and educational institutions under its jurisdiction and people across the country to remain cautious to contain the spread of coronavirus.
The directorate also asked people to abide by the guidelines from the Institute of Epidemiology, Diseases Control and Research (IEDCR) published on its website, according to a press release signed by its Secretary General Prof Syed Md Golam Faruque.
Mentioning the government measures to tackle the virus from spreading, the directorate requested people to remain alert and contact IEDCR if symptoms of the disease develop.
IEDCR hotline numbers
Eight new numbers have been added to the IEDCR hotline. The 12 hotline numbers are: 01401184551, 01401184554, 01401184555, 01401184556, 01401184559, 01401184560, 01401184563, 01401184568, 01927711784, 01927711785, 01937000011, and 01937110011. One could also call the Department of Health by dialling 16263.
IK/BK