Coronavirus: UAE reports Bangladeshi infected

One Bangladeshi national living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been diagnosed with novel coronavirus (COVID-19), reports Reuters.

On Friday, the UAE's health authority registered the 39-year-old Bangladeshi along with a 34-year-old Filipino, bringing the total confirmed cases of coronavirus to 11 in the Gulf Arab state, the report said.

Both of them had come into close connection with Chinese citizens who had the virus, local newspaper Khaleej Times reports wrote, referring to UAE's Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP).

"Their conditions are stable," the MoHAP said in a statement.

With this new one, the total number of infected Bangladeshis has increased to six. Five are undergoing treatment in Singapore.

Condition of one Bangladeshi, who has been in the ICU in Singapore, is very critical, Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and research (IEDCR) said yesterday.

The four others are in stable condition.

The UAE, a major international air transit point, and tourism and business hub, recorded its first coronavirus case on January 28 when four members of a Chinese family were diagnosed. 

It has since suspended passenger flights to mainland China, with the exception of Beijing.

Most of those diagnosed in the UAE with the virus are Chinese citizens.

Another Filipino national and one Indian national have also been infected, according to the health ministry.

Of those previously diagnosed, three Chinese nationals have fully recovered, it said.

Unnecessary panic over coronavirus will intensify danger: IEDCR

Any unnecessary panic over coronavirus will intensify danger resulting in an increase of obstacles to preventing probable infection, the director of IEDCR Prof Meerjady Sabrina Flora said today.

Citing reports of harassment of foreign citizens due to coronavirus panic, she came up with this warning during the regular press briefing at the IEDCR in Dhaka.

Recently, a Chinese national was denied from entering their rented house and was forced to stay at a hotel, according to Prof Flora.

"The over enthusiastic people are going too far and it is creating an awkward situation. Such actions can throw the whole country at risk of spreading the infection," she said.

As an infection prevention mechanism, the IEDCR earlier urged everybody from abroad, especially China, to stay inside their homes for two weeks.

She said that if anybody is infected and is forced to stay outside, this creates the risk of creating or spreading the infection.

She once again said that people should not panic and should act on right information beyond rumours.

So far, the IEDCR tested all of the 77 suspected cases in the country and they were all negative.

About the treatment of the five infected Bangladeshis in Singapore, Prof Flora said "They [Singapore government] are trying their best in treating these [Bangladeshi] patients. We hope they would come back home after disinfecting from the virus."

Emerging in Chinese city of Wuhan, this new virus has spread to at least 26 countries so far and caused more than 2,345 deaths, including eight out of China.

"We put importance on Singapore after China for many reasons. Now we see more infections in South Korea and Japan. We are observing situations in these countries also," Prof Flora said.

BANGLADESH NEEDS TO BE PREPARED FOR FUTURE OUTBREAK

Former advisor to caretaker government Dr Akbar Ali Khan yesterday said the country needs a "master plan" in containing future outbreaks of any deadly virus like the novel coronavirus.

"It is not right to be critical about the steps taken by the government to tackle the crisis [due to the new virus]. In future, however, such deadly viruses might break out. So, the government should make a master plan in this regard," Khan said while speaking as the chief guest in a debate competition in Dhaka.

"Debate for Democracy" organised the shadow parliamentary debate in the capital titled "Impact of Coronavirus on the Bangladesh Economy".

Khan suggested that the government explores alternatives to China as its import source to tackle such a crisis in the future.