Experts fear spike in Covid-19 infections after Eid-ul-Azha
Health experts have expressed apprehension that Covid-19 infection rate may take an upward trend sharply after the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha as several crore people get directly engaged in the sacrificing over one crore animals in the country.
In order to check the transmission of the coronavirus, they suggested the government to promote a system where the animals are sold, bought and slaughtered and the meat is distributed under a single system in a particular area like union, village or ward for reducing engagement of the people.
Alongside the promotion of online cattle markets, the experts stressed the need for following the health guidelines while buying and selling animals in the traditional markets, slaughtering them and distribution of their meat.
"We may see a sharp rise in the Covid-19 infection rate after 15 days of the Eid-ul-Azha unlike the Eid-ul-Fitr as there are huge activities surrounding the sacrifice of animals," said Prof Nazrul Islam, former vice-chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
Noting that the infection rate remains at 21-22 percent (of the Covid-19 samples tested) in the country, he said the it didn't see any big jump after Eid-ul-Fitr, but Eid-ul-Azha could be different.
Prof Nazrul, also a member of the National Technical Advisory Committee formed to fight Covid-19, said they've recently advised the government not to install any cattle markets inside the city limits of Dhaka, Narayanganj and Chattogram.
The committee told the government that it needs to maintain the health guidelines in the cattle markets across the country.
Prof Be-Nazir Ahmed, former director (disease control) of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and Muzaherul Huq, former regional advisor (South East Asia) of the World Health Organisation (WHO) said if the traditional process of animal sacrifice continues this time as well, it will not be possible to maintain social distancing, increasing the risk of Covid-19 infections spiking largely across the country.
The two experts said the government can consider arrangement of the sacrificial animals of the whole country under a central management system. In that case, a Saudi Arabia-like model can be followed as Hajj pilgrims deposit money for sacrificing animals there, but they have no direct engagement in the process of buying and slaughtering the animals, nor in the distribution of the meat there.
"There are many public activities alongside mass exodus during this Eid. But we can bring the sacrificial animals under a national management system. We see those who sacrifice animals in Saudi Arabia are not directly involved there. We can consider whether we can apply it in our country. Or at least we can arrange a single management system for each specific area to complete the activities related to sacrificial animals," said Prof Be-Nazir Ahmed.
"If we can do so, the cow or goat farmers will not be losers and social distancing can largely be maintained," said the former director of DGHS.
Echoing Prof Be-Nazir, Muzaherul Huq also supported a central management system.
"Alongside promoting the online markets, the animal markets [haats] can also be decentralised outside the cities," said Muzaherul Huq, also founding chairman of Public Health Foundation Bangladesh.
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