Although Covid-19 infections are on the rise in Bangladesh, the coronavirus may lose some of its severity in the coming months. In conversation with Dhaka Tribune, Dr KFM Ayaz, senior consultant (internal medicine) at Evercare Hospital, shared his opinion on when the pandemic may end, the necessity of genome sequencing, danger of self-medication, and more.
There has been a lot of discussion on whether the latest surge caused by the omicron variant might be the last hit of this pandemic. What is your take on this?
That is the answer scientists around the world are looking for now. I would not necessarily say that this is the last nail in the coffin. In retrospect, Spanish Flu died down although there was no vaccine, the coronavirus may also burn itself out with time and, of course, with vaccination efforts. One of the general characteristics of viruses is that they tend to mutate to survive. I think coronavirus will get weaker too, and that is how this pandemic will probably end.
Since the infection rate has been high for the past couple of weeks, do you fear that the death rate will go up soon?
The data says the death rate is much lower compared to the infection rate now, and the death rates in March and July last year. I would say many people have developed some sort of immunity against the virus, either from vaccination or immunity developed from Covid-19 recovery. I think the death rate will not be as high as the previous waves, because a section of population has developed antibodies.
What about hospitalizations?
My experience says hospitalization is much lower than the past waves. A significant number of people are having milder symptoms now and, therefore, they can recover without hospital care. Some people just need over-the-counter medicines and a healthy diet to recover from Covid-19. However, some fear that hospital admissions may overburden the healthcare system, since too many people are getting infected now. My suggestion to these people would be not to overwhelm the hospitals and make it difficult for the health system as well as patients who actually need hospitalization. We do need some clear conditions for Covid-19 hospital admissions.
What is herd immunity in terms of Covid-19?
Herd immunity can be reached when enough people in the population have recovered from a disease and have developed protective antibodies against future infection. However, it is a little different for Covid-19. People will develop antibodies through recovery and vaccination, but they might still get reinfected. However, the durability of the virus will be much weaker in the reinfected person’s body, and therefore it will not do much harm. However, elderly people and people with comorbidities might remain at risk.
How important is genome sequencing of coronavirus?
Genome sequencing can alert us to potential Covid-19 surges and new trends. It is definitely a key tool to prepare for any potential surges. If we do more genome sequencing, we would be able to know about new virus mutations.
Many people seem to self-prescribe medication when they get infected. What are the potential risks of self-medication when someone contracts Covid-19?
Self-medication is a dangerous practice for any health issue. I heard some Covid-19 patients were taking antibiotics after getting infected. Covid-19 is a viral infection, so antibiotics are not the answer. I also noticed a prescription with a list of medicines for Covid-19 was making the rounds on social media. This is ignorant and dangerous. There is not really a generic treatment for Covid-19 patients. Covid-19 treatments should be tailored for different sections. Treatment for someone who is elderly or has comorbidities will not be the same as for a young and healthy person.
