Staff Reporter :
Around one-fourth of Bangladesh’s coronavirus-infected people have no any visible symptoms, posing a big threat to the efforts to prevent the spread of the virus in the country, according to experts.
They said coronavirus spread in communities by the infected people with no symptoms and sicken otherwise healthy people as they freely roaming around fueling the pandemic since the government is easing the shutdown gradually despite the spike in the virus cases in the country.
As per the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), over 20 percent Covid-19 patients have no symptom, which is the reason of great concerns.
Under the circumstances, the experts said people must follow WHO’s guidelines such as wearing masks, gloves, use of sanitizers, maintain good hygiene by washing hands frequently to remain safe and check the transmission of the virus.
According to a study published in Journal Science indicates that people with no or mild symptoms contributed to 79 per cent of all transmissions within China, as they felt they were healthy enough to travel.
A study based in Italy similarly identified between 50 and 75 per cent of carriers were asymptomatic.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) also said 80 per cent of the Covid-19 cases are either asymptomatic or with mild symptoms, but no such study has been conducted in Bangladesh so far.
Dr Be-Nazir Ahmed, former director (disease control) of the DGHS, said asymptomatic transmission is a major factor in transmission for coronavirus.
“We do not know the exact percentage of the silent spreaders in the country as we do not have any research. But we are certain that asymptomatic coronavirus patients are drivers of rapid spread in the community like in any other part of the world,” he added.
He said the main strategy to prevent the virus transmission by asymptomatic patients is to strictly enforce shutdown, maintain isolation, social distancing, and health hygiene by washing hands frequently.
“As the government is now allowing resumption of economic and religious activities, people without serious symptoms will become super spreaders of the virus,” the health expert warned.
He said the government should take some preparations before lifting shutdown. “If we lift the shutdown in an unplanned way, we will have to pay a heavy price, and will lose control over the situation, mainly because of a high number of asymptomatic patients.”
Dr Be-Nazir said the testing capacity should be raised to at least 20,000 per day to quickly identify the hidden carriers and separate them from others. “We need good plans and management to tackle the current situation and ensure the optimum use of our limited resources and manpower.”
He said doctors and nurses should undergo the test after every 15 days to detect the asymptomatic infection among them. “Or else, they will continue to spread the virus to their colleagues and patients unknowingly.”
Prof Dr Mohammed Atiqur Rahman, treasurer of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and a medicine specialist, said there are huge number of asymptomatic patients in Bangladesh like India and other countries in the world.
“Though we have no research finding, we can assume nearly 70 per cent people who get infected with the virus here are asymptomatic or with mild symptoms, and most of the others remain undetected,” he added.
He said detecting the silent coronavirus carriers and send them to isolation is now the main challenge for the government.
“There are two ways to deal with the asymptomatic patients and stop transmission of the virus by asymptomatic patients. Strictly enforcing shutdown, keeping people at homes, maintaining social distancing and health hygiene is the best way to prevent it. The other way is to rapidly identify the infected people by enhancing testing capacity and send them to isolation,” the professor added.
Dr Atiqur said they are focusing on social distancing and lockdown for a longer period to contain the virus as the county has limited testing capacity.
“The government is now going to resume economic activities for the sake of livelihoods. If we use mask, maintain social distancing as much as possible, wash hands with soap and avoid mass gatherings, we will be able to protect ourselves a bit from the virus,” he added.
The expert focused on decentralizing the Covid-19 testing facilities across the country to quickly identify infected people and thus save others from the infection.
Prof Dr Sultana Shahana Banu, head of the virology department of the Dhaka Medical College (DMC), said that the rise of asymptomatic patients is weakening the country’s fight against the coronavirus.
“Silent coronavirus patients are very high all over the world, and it seems this number is much higher in our country as our people have good immune system since they are used to suffer influenza or cold-related problems,” she added.
Shahana said many people get infected with the Covid-19 can hide it as no symptom develop among them. “Many asymptomatic patients are also unaware of their infection. That is why our many doctors and nurses are getting infected by handing such patients.”
“Staying at home, maintaining social distancing and using masks and hand sanitizers are the main ways to overcome this problem, but we are failing to do so, inviting a serious consequence,” she added.
Describing the asymptomatic patients as coronavirus bombs, Shahana warned they will continue to explode everywhere if the lockdown is eased, putting the nation into a serious danger of the pandemic.
Bangladesh has reported 239 deaths and over 15,000 cases of Covid-19 so far.
The fast spreading novel coronavirus has infected more than 4,181,180 people and claimed over 283,860 lives across the world till date, according to Worldometer.
Meanwhile, nearly 1,493,448 people have also recovered from the deadly disease.
Tahmid Jaman, an intern of Sir Salimullah Medical College and Mitford Hospital, underwent a swab test after his roommate was diagnosed with coronavirus.
Although he had no any visible symptoms, his result came out to be positive.
Most of the coronavirus-infected people are asymptomatic.
As per the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), over 20 percent Covid-19 patients have no symptom which is the reason of great concerns.
Chief Scientific Officer of IEDCR Dr ASM Alamgir said as there is no symptom, a person does not know that he/she is carrying the virus, spreading it in many ways.
The experts have put emphasis on finding out those came in contact with the infected people and carrying out tests apart from maintaining health guidelines.
Medicine expert Prof Dr Ridwanur Rahman it will be difficult to contain the virus if the asymptomatic patients spread it.
