Coronavirus yet to relent

One year has passed since the coronavirus infection struck the country on this day, 08 March, last year when three people were reported to have been diagnosed with the virus.
Two of them were expatriates and the other one was a member of their family living in the country. They were treated at Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Government Hospital.
Ten days later, on March 18, the first corona patient died at Tolarbagh in the capital's Mirpur in the country.
Since then, identification and death had increasing with each day passing. The highest number of infections in the country was in June last year. The highest death was in July.
Various steps have been taken in the country as per the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) to combat the coronavirus pandemic. From the last part of April to the first part of July, there was a general holiday bringing a stalemate in the country.
Red flags were hoisted at the houses of the people who were affected by the coronavirus. All the people became terrified. Relatives also stayed away from the dead bodies of the victims of Corona.
There were some inhumane incidents like relatives fleeing after leaving the body, not finding people for burial and not getting the doctor-nurse to take care of the corona patient in the hospital.
There was a lack of medical management in the hospital. Issues of corruption in buying medical elements also came up again and again.
A number of officials, including the health secretary, were transferred. At one stage, the then Director General of the
    Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) was forced to resign.
Mohammad Shahed, owner of Regent Hospital, accused of cheating with people in the name of fake hospital, corona test, and Chairman of JKG Healthcare Dr Sabrina Arif Chowdhury and her husband Arifur Rahman were arrested for supplying fake masks and PPEs and for being involved in several other corona-centric crimes.    
However, in the course of time people overcame fear and turned around with courage. At one stage, the coronavirus vaccine came to the country on January 20.
On January 27, the Prime Minister inaugurated the vaccination programme. The United Nations, WHO and several other international organizations have already congratulated the Bangladesh government on its success in tackling the coronavirus.
Nevertheless, the country is yet to see any respite from coronavirus infection. Last month the corona detection rate came down but this month it has started to increase again.
Experts at the government and private levels are urging everyone to follow the hygiene rules saying that the situation can worsen if caution is relaxed.
Health experts have termed it a challenge to bring the situation under control after one year of the virus.
Prof Dr AFM Ruhal Haque, former minister of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said, "The challenges and disaster that the country faced at the beginning due to such a global pandemic were overcome in a short period of time with the visionary intervention, leadership and guidance of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina."
Prof Nasima Sultana, Additional Director General of DGHS, said, "Even if we are in better condition now than before and after getting vaccinated, everyone has to follow the hygiene rules including the use of masks. We will be at risk until corona is eliminated. As a result, everyone has to be careful."