Reza Mahmud :
Public health experts warned that if Indian mutant variant of Covid-19 virus enters Bangladesh, the healthcare facilities here would be collapsed due to rapid surge in coronavirus infected patients.
They urged the government to close all connectivity with India until the situation is contained.
Sources said that the Indian Covid situation has been deteriorated in recent weeks putting severe pressure on the country’s health infrastructure.
In these circumstances, experts expressed serious concern over the spread of Indian variant in Bangladesh through the bordering people who used to visit India frequently.
Experts called upon the government to halt all land, water and air connectivity with the neighboring country to stop entering the Indian variant Covid virus.
“The Covid-19 is spreading fast in India. The pandemic situation has already taken serious turn there. Several variants of the deadly virus, are considering is responsible behind the rapid spread of the virus,” Dr Be-Nazir Ahmed, former Director (disease control) of the DGHS told The New Nation on Saturday.
He said, “Spread of the virus has skyrocketed in West Bengal, the closest part of Bangladesh. Even in March, we found about 300 to 400 people were infecting there, but now it has crossed 10,000 mark. It is really alarming for our people as they used to visit India frequently.”
The UK coronavirus variant (lineage B1.1.7), South African variant (lineage B1.351), Indian double mutant (B.1.167) and triple mutant (B.1.168) variants are believed to be behind the recent Covid-19 spike in India, according to the country’s media reports.
The two Indian variants might be more infectious than other variants, several genome scientists of the country said.
Meanwhile, there are no reports of getting any Indian variant in Bangladesh yet.
But officials from health authorities are considering that the variant may have been entered in the country.
“The variants were detected long ago in India. It may have entered Bangladesh prior to the suspension of flights,” Professor Dr Robed Amin, spokesperson for the DGHS Covid-19 management committee said journalists.
He said, the authorities are not conducting regular contact tracings. This is why there is uncertainty over the variants’ presence in the country.
When asked, Professor Dr. M. Muzeherul Huq, former Advisor of World Health Organisation told The New Nation on Saturday, “We should not only close borders but also close all connectivity with India with the situation is controlled.”
He said, “We should also impose a travel ban on India.”
When contacted, Lokman Hossain Miah, Secretary of the Health Ministry told The New Nation on Saturday, “Only the DGHS officials can say if the Indian variant entered the country or not.”
Replying to a query he said, “The cabinet will discuss about halting border connectivity with India. The Foreign Ministry will inform it publicly.”
Prof Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam, DGHS DG, could not be reached for comment.
