Wednesday | 6 November 2024 | Reg No- 06
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Wednesday | 6 November 2024 | Epaper

Are we prepared to tackle the new COVID variant?

Published : Friday, 30 December, 2022 at 12:00 AM  Count : 321
The Corona virus started in December 2019. The deadly Corona virus spread worldwide from a few people in Wuhan, China. Later it turned into a pandemic. Since then, this virus is still affecting people. One after another new types are being born.

The entire period of 2020, especially the beginning, has left the whole world in turmoil due to this Corona virus. During the lockdown, people had to stay under house arrest day after day�which was really unimaginable to people in this era. Millions of people have lost their lives in the Corona virus so far and billions have also been affected.

The Corona virus has given a thumbs up to the modern robust medical system. The health experts of the world have made no less effort to defeat Corona virus--this effort is still continuing. However, even though they could not provide the final solution, they were able to find various ways to treat the affected people. And through this they healed people. Many vaccines have been invented to prevent the spread of the Corona virus. However, even if they could not prevent 100% of the Covid, it was understood for years that most of them were able to handle the wave of the pandemic.

But recently, just before starting the new year, the Corona virus came back stronger with a message of despair. At the end of the year, the risk of infection of the Corona virus has increased again in the country. As a result, new concerns about the pandemic came into discussion again. The new infection type is said to be stronger than Omicron. China's Department of Health says the new variant, BF-7, is four times more contagious than Omicron. This type affects the patient in less time. The new strain has been identified in China, the United States and India. BF is spreading among humans faster than any other subtype. The disease control wing of the country's Health Department has termed the strain as "highly contagious". This is a cause of great concern.

After April of this year, there was no increase in the number of infections in China. After six months, the country's experts say that Covid is coming back again. In a few days, 28,000 new infections have been reported. Only 16,000 people have been infected in Guangdong Province. Infections are also increasing in the capital Beijing. Although the number of new cases in Bangladesh is relatively low. The Department of Health reported seven new cases till last Saturday. The previous day this number was 8. However, this number will not take time to increase, if precautions and awareness are not adopted.

The fear that another wave will soon break out from China, where it started, cannot be ruled out. Since Bangladesh has free communication with China, our risk is high. Moreover, India is also our neighboring country. It is easy to assume that if the infection increases in India, it will have an impact on Bangladesh as well. So at the end of the day the only one thing is�caution and awareness. There is nothing but caution and awareness.

We need to take effective measures to deal with the new variant of Corona virus. So our first duty will be to increase screening at all points of entry, including airports, and ensure institutional quarantine of arrivals. At the same time proper care should be taken that they should not associate with any people inside the country. Earlier, lack of detection at entry points and lax quarantine allowed the rapid spread of the Delta and Omicron variants within the country. And there was great reluctance among people to follow the health protocols.

Effective measures should be taken to remove the reluctance that is being seen among people of different classes and professions across the country in complying with the health protocols at the moment. Otherwise the situation cannot be kept under control. As a result, both civil life and state life will suffer a terrible loss. Therefore, before the situation goes out of control, the authorities concerned with Covid should take proper preparations and take effective measures. There is no alternative to follow health protocols to control Covid. And for this we have to be careful and aware. Above all, in addition to citizen awareness, different organizations should come forward to control Covid.

-    Emran Emon is a researcher, journalist and columnist








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