On the one hand, life has largely normalized in Bangladesh -- businesses have opened up, heavy traffic plies our roads, people are feeling a greater sense of ease about social activities, or going out. On the other hand, experts are warning of a potential second wave which could hit us come winter. That is to say, if we are not ready, the toll could be devastating. No doubt, the mixed signals we have been getting can be confusing.
The truth of the matter is, we have not witnessed anything like this before, so there are more questions than there are answers. What cannot be denied is that the spread of Covid-19 is far from over, we do not have a vaccine at hand as of yet, and therefore, we are not out of the woods. It would, then, be unwise to scale back our coronavirus treatment facilities at a time like this, certainly before getting through the winter, when the second wave may hit us hard.
Unfortunately, the government has made the decision to gradually suspend Covid-19 treatment from 12 dedicated Covid-19 hospitals. Experts say this is a premature decision. Already, many are confused about the risks, and now to reduce the number of treatment facilities will mean even fewer people will get tested and treated.
Not only will this result in more deaths, and a faster spread of coronavirus in the days to come, our data regarding Covid-19, which is crucial to managing the pandemic, will be totally unreliable, with fewer people coming forward.
We must not be hasty with these decisions, and we must not confuse our citizens further. A careful, realistic appraisal of the pandemic situation is needed, and we should cut back on our treatment facilities only when there is solid, scientific reason to believe the worst is well and truly over.
