Amid the Corona pandemic, dengue patients have started increasing at an alarming rate in the country. Experts have said that the situation could worsen if steps are not taken to control dengue. They say that the temperature in Bangladesh is suitable for the breeding of Aedes mosquitoes all year round. However, with the increase in rainfall, the density of Aedes mosquitoes increases. Dengue patients are still found in Bangladesh during winter when there is no rainfall. However, the number is low.
In Bangladesh, the highest number of dengue patients are in the months of August and September. However, these four months, June, July, August, and September, are called the main dengue season. Accordingly, during this dengue season, the number of patients in hospitals due to corona is increasing every day.
According to the Health Emergency Operations Center and Control Room of the Directorate General of Health Services, as of yesterday, 93 dengue patients were admitted to various hospitals in the capital. Of these, 30 were admitted in the last 24 hours. And 81 people were admitted to the hospital in the last four days from June 30 to July 3. Dengue was detected in 271 people in June alone.
Due to the decrease in vegetation in Dhaka city, the Aedes albopictus mosquito has decreased and the Aedes aegypti has increased. According to hospital sources, dengue patients are coming to the hospital from different areas of Dhaka. Among them, more patients are coming from Dhanmondi, Azimpur, Mohammadpur, Mohakhali DHOS, Gulshan, Banani and Uttara areas.
There have been allegations that the two city corporations are giving more importance to waterlogging in the capital, which is causing a slowdown in mosquito control efforts. The infestation of Aedes mosquitoes has increased in most areas.
In this regard, entomologist and professor of Jahangirnagar University Dr. Kabirul Bashar said, the situation could become dire if effective steps are not taken quickly and effectively, given the increasing number of dengue patients amid the coronavirus pandemic. He said, the City Corporation should work in a planned manner. Especially, it should work on controlling Aedes mosquitoes. Along with combing campaigns, emphasis should be given to spraying. Work should be done on ward-wise basis to control mosquitoes.
City Corporation statement: Regarding the increase in dengue, Dhaka North City Corporation's Chief Health Officer Brigadier General Md. Jobaidur Rahman told Ittefaq, "We are not taking any separate programs. This is the dengue season. Due to which we have already been carrying out various activities. Among them, we are warning those who were found with Aedes larvae in their homes last year according to their database. We have warned them by letter so that water does not accumulate in government and private institutions. And spraying is going on every day."
Doctor's advice: The Prime Minister's personal physician, Professor Dr. ABM Abdullah, said about the symptoms of dengue, "If you have dengue, you will have fever, headache and back pain. You should check for a rash on your body. You should pay attention to whether you have blood when brushing your teeth, nosebleeds or black stools. You should not take any medicine without a doctor's advice. If you have a fever, you should only take paracetamol. If you want to eat anything else, you should take treatment as per the doctor's advice. He advised you to drink plenty of fluids."
