ABSTRACT
An outbreak of a COVID-19 pandemic disease, caused by a novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has posed a serious threat to global human health. Bangladesh has also come under the attack of this viral disease. Here, we aimed to describe the responses of Bangladesh to tackle the COVID-19, particularly on how Bangladesh is dealing with this novel viral disease with its limited resources. The first case of a COVID-19 patient was detected in Bangladesh on March 8, 2020. Since then, a total of 263,503 peoples are officially reported as COVID-19 infected with 3,471 deaths until August 11, 2020. To combat the COVID-19, the government has taken various steps viz. diagnosis of the suspected cases, quarantine of doubted people and isolation of infected patients, local or regional lockdown, closure of all government and private offices, increase public awareness and enforce social distancing, etc. Moreover, to address the socio-economic situations, the government announced several financial stimulus packages of about USD 11.90 billion. However, the government got 3 months since the disease was first reported in China, but the country failed in making proper strategies including contact tracing, introducing antibody/antigen-based rapid detection kit, and also failed to make multi-disciplinary team to combat this disease. Further, limited testing facilities and inadequate treatment service along with public unawareness are the major challenges for Bangladesh to tackle this situation effectively. Along with the government, personal awareness and assistance of non-government organizations, private organizations, researchers, doctors, industrialists, and international organizations are firmly required to mitigate this highly contagious disease.
REFERENCES
2. Wang C, Horby PW, Hayden FG, et al. A novel coronavirus outbreak of global health concern. Lancet 2020;395:470-473.
3. Lu H, Stratton CW, Tang YW. Outbreak of Pneumonia of Unknown Etiology in Wuhan China: the Mystery and the Miracle. J Med Virol 2020;92:401-402.
4. Huang C, Wang Y, Li X, et al. Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China. Lancet 2020;395:497-506.
5. Chen N, Zhou M, Dong X, et al. Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 99 cases of 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia in Wuhan, China: a descriptive study. Lancet 2020;395: 507-513.
6. Sohrabi C, Alsafi Z, O’Neill N, et al. World Health Organization declares global emergency: A review of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Inter J Surg 2020;76:71–76.
7. Lai CC, Shih TP, Ko WC, et al. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and corona virus disease-2019 (COVID-19): the epidemic and the challenges. Inter J antimicrob agents 2020;55:105924.
8. Worldometer. COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic. 2020. Available from: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/.
9. Anwar S, Nasrullah M, Hossen MJ. COVID-19 and Bangladesh: challenges and how to address them. Front Pub Healt 2020;8.154.
10. Lorenzo GD, Rossella DT. Coronavirus disease (covid-19) in Italy: analysis of risk factors and proposed remedial measures. Front Med 2020;7:140.
11. Paul R. Bangladesh confirms its first three cases of coronavirus. 2020. Available form: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-bangladesh-idUSKBN20V0FS.
12. Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR). Bangladesh Covid-19 update. 2020. Available from: https://www.iedcr.gov.bd/.
13. Islam MT, Badruzzaman M, Talukder AK. Influence of health service facilities on management of COVID-19 patients. Submitted to Pan American J of Pub Healt 2020. (Under Review)
14. Muhammad F, Chowdhury M, Arifuzzaman M, et al. Public health problems in Bangladesh: Issues and challenges. South East Asia J Pub Healt 2016;6:11-6.15. Maswood MH. Young, working-age people mostly infected with COVID-19 in Bangladesh. 2020. Available form: https://www.newagebd.net/article/104307/young-working-age-people-mostly-infected-with-covid-19-in-bangladesh.
16. Kamol E. Mujib birth centenary inauguration to be on small scale. 2020. Available form: https://www.newagebd.net/article/101645/mujib-birth-centenary-inauguration-to-be-on-small-scale.
17. World Health Organization. COVID-19-who-bangladesh-situation-reports. 2020. Available from: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/searo/bangladesh/covid-19-who-bangladesh-situation-reports/who-ban-covid-19-sitrep-04.pdf?sfvrsn=69b6d931_8.
18. World Health Organization. COVID-19-who-bangladesh-situation-reports. 2020. Available form: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/searo/bangladesh/covid-19-who-bangladesh-situation-reports/who-ban-covid-19-sitrep-05.pdf?sfvrsn=23b90f3c_8.
19. World Health Organization. COVID-19-who-bangladesh-situation-reports. 2020. Available from: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/searo/bangladesh/covid-19-who-bangladesh-situation-reports/who-ban-covid-19-sitrep-06.pdf?sfvrsn=36254da0_6.20. World Health Organization. COVID-19-who-bangladesh-situation-reports. 2020. Available from: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/searo/bangladesh/covid-19-who-bangladesh-situation-reports/who-ban-covid-19-sitrep-9.pdf?sfvrsn=6f8e4ef3_6.
21. The Independent. BB issues guideline for Tk 5000cr stimulus package for agriculture. 2020. Available from: http://m.theindependentbd.com/post/244255.
22. Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha. Govt to subsidize farmers with Tk 9,000cr to minimise COVID-19 fallout. 2020. Available from: http://www.bssnews.net/?p=376835.
23. Bangladesh Awami League. HPM Sheikh Hasina allocates BDT 101,117 Crore to maintain economic strength. 2020. Available from: http://albd.org/articles/news/33780/HPM-Sheikh-Hasina-allocates-BDT-101,117-Crore-to-maintain-economic-strength.
24. Saleh A. In Bangladesh, COVID-19 threatens to cause a humanitarian crisis. 2020. Available from: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/in-bangladesh-covid-19-could-cause-a-humanitarian-crisis/.
25. The Daily Star. Bangladesh urgently needs to secure ventilators for Covid-19 patients. 2020. Available from: https://www.thedailystar.net/editorial/news/bangladesh-urgently-needs-secure-ventilators-covid-19-patients-1891039.