Dengue becoming terrible amid Covid pandemic
- 995 people admitted to different hospitals this year
- 623 people infected in the last 15 days
- 97% of dengue patients from capital
- 2 die with dengue symptoms
- Health experts suggest providing door-to-door services
The number of dengue patients is rising day by day in the country with about 63% of this year's patients until now being infected in the last two weeks.
On Thursday, 81 patients, the highest in a single day, were admitted to different hospitals.
The number of patients in the first 15 days of this month is more than double that in the month of June.
People living in the capital are scared due to the increasing number of dengue cases amid the worsening third wave of the pandemic. About 97% of dengue patients are being treated in hospitals in the capital.
On Thursday, 299 dengue patients were being treated at hospitals in Dhaka while four others outside the capital.
Although most of them are residents of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), its Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh claimed that the city corporation had all the preparations to deal with dengue.
"Dengue is still under control compared to the situation in 2018 and 2019," he said.
Contradicting the available DGHS data, the DSCC mayor said the number of dengue patients had started declining. "We are hopeful that through the ongoing combing campaign, we will be able to make people aware. And through public awareness, we will be able to avoid an outbreak of dengue," he said.
Dengue patients are increasing with every passing day, although the two city corporations of Dhaka are conducting combing operations to control dengue and eradicate Aedes mosquitoes. Various organisations and homeowners are being fined every day during raids conducted by the twin city corporations, but it has failed to contain the increasing dengue infections.
Health experts say if door-to-door services are not provided and scores of volunteers are not recruited to contain the alarmingly increasing rate of infection, the situation might go out of hand within few days.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), a total of 995 people have been admitted to various hospitals across the country between 1 January and 15 July this year. Among them, 372 patients were infected in six months till 30 June while the remaining 623 were admitted to hospitals in different parts of the country during the last two weeks.
The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) has reported two deaths with dengue symptoms. One of them was undergoing treatment at Square Hospital in Dhanmondi and another at Chattogram Medical College and Hospital.
In the meantime, special dengue wards have been opened in several private and government hospitals in the capital. Only dengue patients are being treated in these wards.
On Thursday, 303 dengue patients were undergoing treatment in various hospitals across the country. Among them, 299 are in different hospitals in Dhaka while two are in Khulna division, one in Dhaka division and another in Mymensingh division.
The highest number of 62 dengue patients is undergoing treatment at Islami Bank Central Hospital at Kakrail in the capital. Besides, 37 patients are admitted to Ad-Din Medical College Hospital, 23 to Holy Family Red Crescent Hospital, 17 to Sir Salimullah Medical College and Mitford Hospital and 20 to Dhaka Shishu Hospital.
The guardian of a patient from Jatrabari, admitted to Islami Bank Central Hospital, said, "A building is being constructed next to our house. Maybe water has clogged there and mosquitoes have bred. At first my eldest daughter was infected and after she was cured, my youngest daughter was infected."
A patient from Lalbagh area of Old Dhaka, admitted to Mitford Hospital, told The Business Standard on Thursday, "I was admitted to the hospital three days ago with high fever and pain. Now, I am getting cured. Water often accumulates in the vicinity of my house due to various development works carried out by the city corporation. Maybe Aedes mosquitoes bred there and infected me."
The city corporation carries out fogging at times but water accumulated in ditches is not cleared at all, he alleged.
Nasir Uddin, the manager of a house at New Eskaton, has cleaned the roof and adjacent areas of the house. He told TBS, "The city corporation officials come and fine people in a hurry. However, there is nobody to monitor the corporation workers who are supposed to clear the waste but do not clean regularly. Rubbish and water accumulate in ditches created as a result of various development activities. Those ditches turn into a safe haven for mosquitoes to breed, for which the city dwellers suffer in the long run.
Former Chief Scientific Officer of IEDCR Dr Mostaq Hossain told TBS that steps should be taken to provide door-to-door service to eradicate dengue from the city. But the city does not have the required manpower. For this, a platform of volunteers has to be built with people from every area. They will work in coordination with the DGHS. The increasing infection rate cannot be reduced only through the efforts of the city corporation or the mayor.
"There are four variants of dengue virus. If a new variant evolves from the last year's variant, the country might plunge into a terrible situation," said the health expert, adding that there is a possibility of several lakh people being infected if the first second or fourth variant comes being changed from the third variant.
"If the previous variant remains, it cannot harm people that much. We have continued the research in this regard, the results will be available in a few days," he added.
"Zika virus infection is on the rise in India and it could affect our country as well," Dr Mostaq said.
In 2019, more than one lakh people were infected with dengue in the country, and 179 people died.
Health experts predict that the dengue outbreak may escalate if drastic action is not taken right now. A deteriorated dengue situation will put even more pressure on the health system, which is on the verge of collapse due to rising Covid infections, they say.