Red zone lockdown to curb Covid-19 spread
Coronavirus transmission will slow down if a 14-day lockdown remains in force
Large-scale testing needed in locked down areas
Professor Nazrul Islam, noted virologist and former vice-chancellor at BSMMU
Zone-based containment initiatives are good to flatten the curve on coronavirus, but these need to be implemented. It would have been better if the lockdown on the red zones were imposed for 38 days instead of the existing 14 days because symptoms of Covid-19 appear within 14 days. If people show symptoms during this time, they will have to be isolated and given treatment.
According to the World Health Organisation, a coronavirus patient needs to be kept under observation for 10 days, even after he or she recovers. That is why it will be good to have a 38-day lockdown. However, testing on a large scale in the areas during those 14 days can still bring about good results. In this case, rapid testing would have been effective, but we have not found any good rapid test kit in our country yet. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that test reports are made quickly available at the testing booths installed in the locked-down areas. We have to separate infected people quickly after performing tests on them.
We have to make sure that zone-based containment measures do not go in vain like what happened after the government decided to resume bus, train and launch services. This has to be done on condition that all will abide by social distancing rules. Social distancing is being maintained on trains but not on buses and launches, resulting in a constant rise in coronavirus infections. We have to ensure that no one can leave the locked-down areas. The people who maintain these must be trained. Their experience can be helpful while locking down other areas. We will be able to stem coronavirus transmission by enforcing a zone-based stringent lockdown.
Infections will slow down if zone-based lockdown becomes successful
Mohammad Mushtuq Husain, advisor to the IEDCR
The Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research went for contract tracing and follow-up after coronavirus made inroads in the country. The clusters with maximum numbers of cases were put under lockdown. The IEDCR got good results by locking down Shibchar, Tolarbagh and Gaibandha. The situation would not have turned so bad if it had continued that procedure.
When the number of coronavirus cases continued to go up in different parts of the country, the IEDCR had to stop contract tracing and follow-up due to a shortage of manpower. Later, the health directorate took over all responsibilities, and the IEDCR was assigned the job of doing research on pandemic control. Contract tracing and follow-up are essential in pandemic control.
For the last two months, we have been saying that not all areas can be put under a lockdown or reopened at once.
After a gradual decrease in the rate of infections in different red zones, we have to open them. We have to work in a targeted way. This is what is being done now. If lockdown in the capital’s Razabazar turns out to be effective, other areas having the highest numbers of coronavirus cases will be locked down. Proper lockdown in the red zones will be useful in curbing infections. This is for the first time that we are witnessing community participation. From a city corporation mayor to ward councillors, all are working together.
Coronavirus transmission will slow down if a 14-day lockdown remains in force in this way. There is nothing right or wrong when it comes to making a decision during a pandemic. Decisions need to be taken based on experiences. The moment a decision appears to be right, it has to be taken without hesitation. We hope to get good results in the zones with a two-week lockdown.