Are people losing interest in Covid test? | The Business Standard
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • TBS Graduates
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Tech
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Monday
October 02, 2023

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • TBS Graduates
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Tech
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
MONDAY, OCTOBER 02, 2023
Are people losing interest in Covid test?

Covid-19 in Bangladesh

Tawsia Tajmim
13 July, 2020, 05:05 pm
Last modified: 13 July, 2020, 11:57 pm

Related News

  • Govt to finalise action plans for 'National ICT Policy 2023'
  • Bangladesh needs policy changes to avoid middle-income trap: Economists
  • Want to shop at Amazon? Cross-border digital trade coming
  • Experts urge simplifying policy framework for logistics to achieve growth target
  • We've taken US' new visa policy in good spirit: Shahriar Alam

Are people losing interest in Covid test?

Bangladesh confirmed 39 more deaths from the novel coronavirus and 3,099 new cases in the last 24 hours till Monday 8am

Tawsia Tajmim
13 July, 2020, 05:05 pm
Last modified: 13 July, 2020, 11:57 pm
Photo: Reuters
Photo: Reuters

Imposition of fees as well as spiralling public distrust because of false reports issued by some private facilities are among the reasons that led to a decline in Covid-19 tests, health professionals and experts have said.

In June, the number of sample tests hovered around 15,000-18,000 per day, but it came down sharply to the 11,000-mark in July while infection rate posted a steady rise.

The Business Standard talked to a number of testing labs in this regard. They said the people are no longer interested, as before, to have a test done, and hence a fewer number of samples are being submitted to them.

Prof Muzaherul Huq, former adviser to the World Health Organization's Southeast Asia region, said middle- and low-income people are not going to have a test done owing to the test fees.

Also, many used to get tested in private labs to avoid sufferings in government hospitals, but their reliance has received a big jolt due to a recent scandal of issuing false reports by the JKG and the Regent hospitals in Dhaka.

The National Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Referral Center (NILMRC) is a major coronavirus testing centre in Dhaka. So far, it has tested the highest number of daily samples, with average tests being around 2,700. On June 30, it tested 3,222 samples but, now, it has come down to only 800.

NILMRC Director Dr AKM Shamsuzzaman said a big number of samples from different divisions and districts and hospitals in Dhaka used to come to his lab. However, samples coming now are lower than those in the last month.

"We used to work round the clock because there were more samples before, but the workload is lower now. However, we have still kept our 24-hour shift running."

Virologist Dr Jahidur Rahman, focal person of the Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital covid-19 testing lab, said a kind of awareness about the disease has been created.

They now prefer keeping themselves in self-isolation to testing if they develop any Covid symptom, he added.

Besides, performing a second test has been removed as a criterion to get released from the hospital, which is also a reason behind a reduced number of tests, said Professor Nasima Sultana, additional director general of the DGHS.

She urged those who are in need to come and test their samples. She also said the sample testing is still free for the poor.

Prof Muzaherul said the only way to control Covid-19 is to isolate the infected through testing.

"Now the infection rate is up, meaning that we are still moving towards the peak. We have to increase the testing rate."

He said the RT-PCR tests are expensive. Instead of it, antigen-antibody tests should be emphasised. There is no scope to keep any infected person beyond the test because one infected person can infect 18 others in only two days.

No kit crisis

The country has no shortage of kits for sample testing, said Dr Rizwanul Karim, joint member secretary of the DGHS covid-19 control room.

He also said, currently, DGHS has a stock of 3.5 lakh test kits and the process of importing kits remains ongoing.

Virologist Dr Jahidur Rahman of Shaheed Suhrawardy Hospital echoed Dr Rizwanul, saying they are regularly getting kits from the DGHS as per their demand.

DGHS is monitoring the number of kits and tests in labs through a real-time web portal. Quick kits are delivered if there is a kit crisis anywhere. And to reduce the delay in getting the test report, the labs that have accumulated a backlog of samples are sending them to nearby labs.

Covid-19 death toll nears 2,400

Bangladesh confirmed 39 more deaths from the novel coronavirus and 3,099 new cases after testing 12,423 samples in the last 24 hours till Monday 8am.

With this, the death toll from the virus rose to 2,391 and the number of total infections stood at 186,894 in Bangladesh.

Of the deceased, 30 were men and nine were women. Of them, 19 were from Dhaka, five from Chattogram, seven from Khulna, three from Barishal, two each from Sylhet and Rangpur, and one from Mymensingh division, Prof Nasima Sultana said during a virtual briefing on Monday.

Thirty-four of them died in different hospitals and five at their respective homes.

"12,358 samples were collected in the last 24 hours and 12,423 were tested in 77 labs across the country. So far, 952,947 samples have been tested," she added.

Besides, 4,703 patients have recovered during the time, increasing the tally to 98,317.

Top News

Covid-free certificate / Policy / Dr Nasima

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Photo: Collected
    LPG price hiked by Tk6.58 per kg, 12kg cylinder to cost Tk1,363
  • Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman win the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden October 2, 2023. TT News Agency/via REUTERS
    Hungarian and US scientists win medicine Nobel for Covid-19 vaccine work
  • File photo of Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader
    No evil force can hinder upcoming elections: Quader

MOST VIEWED

  • Paperfly aborts flight
    Paperfly aborts flight
  • Photo: TBS
    Habibur Rahman takes charge as 36th DMP commissioner
  • US dollar banknotes are seen in this illustration taken on 10 March 2023. Photo: Reuters
    Remittance earnings in September lowest in 41 months
  • How China's Belt and Road changing Bangladesh's  infrastructures
    How China's Belt and Road changing Bangladesh's infrastructures
  • Some banks get more remittance. Is it for extra efforts, or higher dollar rates?
    Some banks get more remittance. Is it for extra efforts, or higher dollar rates?
  • Representational image. Photo: Masum Billah
    Exporting mango trees to Dubai: Bangladeshi farmers tap into afforestation programmes in Gulf countries

Related News

  • Govt to finalise action plans for 'National ICT Policy 2023'
  • Bangladesh needs policy changes to avoid middle-income trap: Economists
  • Want to shop at Amazon? Cross-border digital trade coming
  • Experts urge simplifying policy framework for logistics to achieve growth target
  • We've taken US' new visa policy in good spirit: Shahriar Alam

Features

Photo: Collected

Simply Khulna: When food packs a punch

1h | Food
Photo: Collected

Where did hamburgers come from?

2h | Food
Shahjahan Bhuiyan’s parents and two out of his three siblings passed away when he was behind bars. He missed all the funerals.  
Photo: Nayem Ali

Hangman Shahjahan Bhuiyan: Life after 60 executions and 44 years in prison

7h | Panorama
Illustration: Collected

Apology to a life forgotten to live

21h | Features

More Videos from TBS

Remittances fall to lowest in 41 months, export growth also declining

Remittances fall to lowest in 41 months, export growth also declining

1h | TBS Economy
How much time do you spend on mobile apps?

How much time do you spend on mobile apps?

4h | Tech Talk
Everything about the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 stadiums: Part 1

Everything about the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 stadiums: Part 1

18h | TBS SPORTS
Apple is bringing new software updates to prevent overheating

Apple is bringing new software updates to prevent overheating

20h | Tech Talk
EMAIL US
[email protected]
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2023
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - [email protected]

For advertisement- [email protected]