Limited testing may propel pandemic
Even though the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) says that there has been community transmission of the coronavirus on a limited scale, approximately only 1,606 individuals have been tested so far—and when that number is compared to the projected population of 164,283,529 in Bangladesh, such an evaluation by the IEDCR seems grossly inadequate, to say the least. However, such a claim can only prove valid after extensive testing has been carried out across the country.
We rank among countries with fairly low testing rates, given our restrictive policy which only allows those with recent travel history to affected countries, or those known to have come into contact with confirmed cases and have Covid-19 symptoms, to be tested while ignoring a lion's share of the citizens who remain vulnerable. This needs to change. Given the fact that many coronavirus patients can be asymptomatic, such a practice of limited testing during a pandemic allows carriers of the virus to infect more people over time, thereby increasing the risks of fatality. Also, it does not give us the real picture.
One of the major reasons behind limited testing is the lack of sample collectors, along with the inadequate supply of test kits. It would be relevant to mention that six other organisations recently got the government's approval to conduct tests for Covid-19, which were carried out solely by IEDCR earlier. Medical technologists of 130 healthcare organisations recently completed training arranged by the government, for collecting samples from suspected Covid-19 patients. Out of the 92,000 kits for Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) tests in the possession of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), they have distributed 21,000 kits to various laboratories. More labs are also being readied nationwide to conduct mass testing.
There seems to be a gap between our policy regarding coronavirus and its implementation. Furthermore, implementing those policies effectively is a matter of time and trial. We had the opportunity to learn from countries like South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan, which were able to tackle the spread of the virus on time by conducting widespread testing of suspected cases. Yes, steps are being taken to scale up our capacity to contain the contagion, but time is crucial. We can no longer afford delays as we already lag behind in our preparations to confront the crisis. When hours and minutes are so valuable, we cannot take a conservative approach to testing. Thus, the government must emphasise immediately on extensive testing to get the complete picture of the situation and proceed accordingly.
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