Weekly COVID-19 cases, deaths surge in Bangladesh as variants spread

The number of new COVID-19 cases has surged by about 23.5 percent in the past week amid findings that most samples tested since mid-May contain the more contagious variants first found abroad.

Meherun Naher Meghlabdnews24.com
Published : 5 June 2021, 04:48 PM
Updated : 5 June 2021, 04:48 PM

Bangladesh reported 11,928 coronavirus cases after testing 119,202 samples in the seven days to Saturday, up from 9,660 among 109,651 samples in the previous week.

The weekly death toll has increased by 25.37 percent to 252 from 201.

Public health expert Mushtuq Husain believes the situation would have been worse had the government not put restrictions on cross-border movement with India. “Infection and death rates are rising, though slowly. The rise would have been rapid like that seen in Nepal if the border management was not put in place.”

He thinks the districts in the central regions along with those at the borders are also experiencing an increase in infections. “The [positivity] rate is still low in some districts, but the average is more than 10 percent,” Dr Husain said.

VARIANTS

Bangladesh recorded the first COVID-19 death on Mar 18 last year, 10 days after the detection of the first cases.

The outbreak eased gradually and the number of deaths in daily count dropped to as low as five in the beginning of March this year.

People wait in line for COVID-19 tests at booths run by the Directorate General of Health Services and BRAC at the Islamic Foundation in Dhaka’s Agargaon on Monday, May 31, 2021. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove

Then came the second wave, setting new records in death counts. A study revealed that the more contagious and deadly coronavirus variant called Beta, first detected in South Africa, dominated the cases from March by replacing the Alpha variant first found in Britain. 

During the second wave, Bangladesh saw 67.27 percent spike in confirmed coronavirus cases in the week from Mar 7 to Mar 13.

After the government enforced a lockdown to curb the spread of the virus, the number of new coronavirus cases dropped again, by 25 percent, over the week to Apr 24.

The government also shut its borders with India to prevent infections with the Delta variant found in that country, but researchers Friday revealed about 80 percent of the coronavirus samples tested since mid-May have matched the strain. Out of the 50 samples, 40 were of the Delta variant and eight were Beta.

Dr Husain said new variants replace old ones and they develop when infections increase. He warned that a rise in infections may create a new variant in Bangladesh.  

The highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus has also been detected in Dhaka amid stricter lockdowns in some border districts where the Delta variant was detected amid a rise in COVID-19 cases and deaths compared with other parts of the country.  

Having reviewed the history of the victims, the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control Research or IEDCR believes that there has already been community transmission of the Delta variant in Bangladesh.

WHAT TO DO?

The authorities have tightened lockdown restrictions in Rajshahi to tackle an upturn in COVID-19 cases in parts of northern Bangladesh amid the pandemic.

Dr Husain, a former chief scientific officer at the government disease control agency IEDCR, said taking steps to quarantine those crossing the border legally is not enough to stop the spread of the variant.  

The government also needs to make arrangements for quarantine of those coming illegally from India without frightening them, he said. 

“And people are putting red flags in many areas with high infection rates. It’s inhumane and terrifying. We can use the Red Crescent’s flag by taking their permission. But red flags mean hatred towards the infected people who actually deserve support.” 

He said raising public awareness about quarantine and isolation of the patients and their close contacts in the areas with more infections is also necessary.

The government should ensure support for the patients from low-income families so that they can quarantine properly, the public health expert added. “Otherwise," he warned, "they will not reveal test results.”

Public representatives of local government bodies can also play a role in taking these steps, according to Dr Husain.