Health experts differ on future trend of Omicron

Health experts hold different views regarding the severity and future trend of Omicron infection in the country.

A section of experts say although the positivity rate is about 9% and the number of cases is high, there is low pressure of patients at the hospitals. 

Health experts said the hospitals have low pressure as most of the citizens are already inoculated and the symptoms of the Omicron strain are mild. The covid patients are therefore receiving treatment from home. But a particular section of people may need to be hospitalised with the faster spread of infection. That's why the hospitals must be prepared with sufficient oxygen supply.     

Dr Forhad Uddin Hasan Chowdhury, medicine and infectious diseases specialist at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, told The Business Standard that the rate of hospitalised patients is low compared to the detection rate.

The situation was different during the Delta variant infection as the number of hospitalised patients rose with the increased detection rate. The rate of increasing the number of patients is comparatively low now, he added. 

Dr Forhad said that the severity is less as most of the people have received vaccine. That's why patients are not getting admitted to the hospitals. Besides, many people are catching common cold and seasonal flu in winter for which they do not go for test, he added.     
As the number of asymptomatic patients is high, the health workers are getting infected which may create health manpower crises in future, Dr Forhad said.   

According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) data, as many as 920 Covid patients were admitted in the 13,426 general beds across the country. Only 157 covid patients were admitted against 1,213 dedicated ICU beds for Covid patients.

At present 80% of the Covid patients are from Dhaka. Against 3,149 general beds of 15 hospitals in Dhaka, only 371 covid patients have been admitted while against 1,497 beds of 31 private hospitals in Dhaka, only 153 patients have been admitted.  

Dr M Mushtuq Husain, adviser, Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), however, holds a different view.

He told TBS that Omicron spreads very fast. If the infection rises, the number of critical patients will also rise as 50% of the citizens have not yet received vaccine. It is urgent to bring all the people over 50 years under the coverage of vaccine, he added.

Bangladesh recorded two Covid deaths and 2,458 positive cases after testing 27,399 samples in the last 24 hours till 8am Tuesday. 

The positivity rate rose to 8.97%, up from 8.53% a day ago, according to the data released by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

With the latest additions, the death toll reached 28,107 and the case tally climbed to 15,98,389 in the country.

Regarding the preparation, Professor Dr Ahmedul Kabir, additional Director General (administration) of the DGHS said that they were keeping the hospitals ready with central oxygen lines alongwith two field hospitals. 

"If the strict movement restrictions are imposed from 13 January, the rise of infection can be delayed, reducing pressure on the hospitals facilitating treatment to all the patients," he said.