Despite showing no symptoms, 17 members of a united family of a health official of Naryanganj Civil Surgeon Office have tested positive for the novel coronavirus (Covid-19).
Narayanganj Civil Surgeon Office's Medical Officer Dr Shakhawat Hossain confirmed the matter to Dhaka Tribune on Tuesday.
According to Dr Shakhawat Hossain, the female health official's younger brother would bring food for the employee in the office regularly . Recently, her brother fell ill, which prompted the health official to run a test for coronavirus.
On April 21, her brother's reports came back positive for Covid-19. Later, suspecting that the other family members could be infected with the virus, the health official collected samples from other family members and found them to be coronavirus positive, said Dr Shakhawat Hossain.
Earlier, in an interview with Dhaka Tribune , IEDCR Director Professor Dr Meerjady Sabrina Flora, said: “We are looking into the matter as we came to know about a few asymptomatic cases.
“We are yet to segregate the number of asymptomatic cases but will analyze it as soon as possible,” she told Dhaka Tribune.
According to Dr Shah Monir Hossain, former director general of Directorate General of Health Service (DGHS), said: “An asymptomatic case is when a person carries a virus without showing symptoms.
“In a case when the person does not know that he or she is infected, it can potentially expedite coronavirus transmission. If the asymptomatic cases remain high it will put the country in jeopardy,” he added.
