Health minister says 80pc COVID-19 cases don’t need treatment, urges patients not to hide info

Health Minister Zahid Malik has urged COVID-19 patients not to hide information so that doctors can get protection, claiming that 80 percent cases do not need treatment for recovery.

“More than 80 percent of patients don’t need any treatment. The rest may need oxygen support and some drugs,” he told the daily online media briefing on the coronavirus outbreak on Friday.

Meerjady Sabrina Flora, director of the government’s disease control agency IEDCR, agreed.

“As much as 32 percent of the patients did not even need hospitalisation, but they had to get admitted because they could not stay at home for social reasons,” she said.

Volunteers carrying the corpse of a COVID-19 victim for burial at the graveyard in Dhaka's Khilgaon Taltola on Saturday. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

The director said the World Health Organization also encourages treatment in isolation at home.

Flora said it would be better for the COVID-19 patients to stay at home also because those who really need support may get neglected if the hospitals are overburdened.

The death rate in Bangladesh, however, is much higher than in almost all other countries.

As many as 75 people have died from the disease while 58 returned home after recovery. The number of cumulative cases was 1,838 until Friday morning after the first was reported on Mar 8.

On Thursday, 12 health workers, including five doctors, of Sir Salimullah Medical College or Mitford Hospital tested positive for the coronavirus reportedly after a surgery patient and his relatives concealed the fact that he had COVID-19.

“The problem is that the patients are not eager to undergo tests. They hide information. It has led to infection of many doctors. Such behaviour gives rise to concern. I urge all to get tested. Please stay safe and let us control the outbreak,” the minister said.