Shakib in quarantine, urges others to follow suit

Shakib Al Hasan has urged the people of Bangladesh to maintain proper hygiene and distance during the coronavirus outbreak.

The ace all-rounder for the Tigers, who is currently serving a one-year band imposed by the ICC from all forms of cricket, was recently in his home town of Magura posting pictures on his social media accounts. 

But this time the left-hander uploaded a video from a hotel in the USA, where he had just arrived, to self-isolate for the next two weeks.

He chose not to be with his wife and daughter and follow the standard coronavirus prevention protocol of staying in quarantine for two weeks after entering one country from another country.

The 32-year-old looked a bit tired and shaken from his journey with his hair unkempt and dark circles around his eyes.

He explained his recent experience and said, "I've just reached the USA. Although a bit of fear crept inside me in the airplane during the journey, I tried my best to keep myself as germfree as possible. After landing, I went straight into the hotel and told them (wife and daughter) that I will stay here for a few days."

Since he traveled from another country in a plane with others, he explained that he carried "even the slightest threat of the virus" and that's why he chose to self-isolate.

"It's obviously difficult to be away from your daughter and wife but it's a sacrifice I must make to ensure the virus doesn't get a chance to spread," Shakib said to help explain to others how do better deal with this situation. 

Shakib went on to explain a few simple steps to help fight against the Covid-19 virus: "Washing our hands with soap, maintaining distance from others, and covering our face with a napkin or cloth when coughing and sneezing will help us and our country big time in prevention from this.

"We have to keep in mind that when we travel back to Bangladesh from another country, we have to self-isolate and not let our relatives meet us. We have to stay quarantined for 14 days which is very important," he said. 

Shakib hoped that his message would help people in Bangladesh follow the preventive methods properly so that the coronavirus does not spread even further: "I hope we also follow what the government and the World Health Organisation (WHO) are telling us and taken the necessary steps to prevent this virus from spreading."

The whole world is currently reeling from the effects of the coronavirus with all sports being shut down indefinitely in most parts of the world including Bangladesh. 

So far, 24 cases of coronavirus and two casualties have been reported in Bangladesh while the death toll worldwide has reached close to 12,000.