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Covid-19 winter wave: Prepare for the worst and hope for the best

Currently, coronavirus deaths and cases in the Bangladesh are down, which gives us a chance to reflect and plan for a second wa


Published : 08 Oct 2020 08:09 PM | Updated : 09 Oct 2020 01:20 AM

It is good to note that the government has deci­ded to impose tougher health safety regulations in order to fight the second wave of coronavirus attack apprehended in the winter.

Reportedly, the government has decided to increase the number of corona lab tests to more than 13,000. Also, the authorities concerned would enforce use of masks as mandatory for all in public places, promote hand washing and sanitising and maintaining social distancing in public places. 

Envisaging that the Covid-19 situation may worsen during the upcoming winter, earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina personally instructed officials to take proper preparations before the outbreak onslaughts again.

As experts fear that coronavirus pandemic could create a winter storm, it is time we brace for a potential increase in cases that could be more serious than the initial outbreak. Since coronavirus spreads more rapidly in winter, it could be a crucial time to wage a war against the pandemic. 

The challenge for government now is to ensure the peak is not so much that it overburdens our healthcare system again.

Currently, coronavirus deaths and cases in the Bangladesh are down, which gives us a chance to reflect and plan for a second wave. It is tough to say whether the nation will reach or surpass the grim peaks of the summer, when we were seeing 3,000 to 4,000 new cases every day. Therefore, Bangladesh should start taking preparations considering measures to tackle the crisis, fearing infections may rise in the upcoming winter season. 

It needs no emphasising that there have always been the risks regarding the crisis escalating in winter time when the cases of respiratory complications rise alarmingly, and Covid-19 itself is a respiratory disease. In this regard, doctors should remain very careful not only to detect the Covid-19 cases but also respiratory issues since their symptoms are identical. 


Government should integrate pragmatic preventive measures based 

on the experiences learned from the first wave so that it can act fast 

to control the possible winter wave and ensure proper healthcare services for  the infected people


When it comes to halting the COVID-19 crisis, virus testing is key to diagnosing cases and tracking the epidemic. It is the only way to uncover just how many people have been infected, or could infect others. Hence, people should be encouraged more to go for Covid-19 tests whenever needed. 

In this regard, we must take necessary steps to conduct adequate and accurate testing and for that our testing facilities need to be expanded.  A rigorous system of test, trace and isolation can protect us. After so many disastrous errors, we must get this right.

Also, common people must abide by government orders issued to slow down the spread of coronavirus. 

There are perturbing signs that most of us have developed a lax attitude to keeping social distancing. While people around the world have been meticulously trying to maintain social distance in a bid to fight the deadly coronavirus, it seems many people in Bangladesh just couldn't care less about it to contain further spread of the virus. Every day, hundreds of people gather at local bazaars, which are believed to be the hotspots of spreading and contracting the virus. This approach must be changed in no time. We must take the deadly disease seriously and take more precautions because even developed nations have not been able to stop the spread of the disease despite having the best of resources and technology. 

The government must take drastic steps to compel people to maintain social distancing and ensure that no social gatherings take place in the country during winter. Government should integrate pragmatic preventive measures based on the experiences learned from the first wave so that it can act fast to control the possible winter wave and ensure proper healthcare services for the infected people. 

Hospitals should remain ready with all necessary equipment and facilities so that they can face any challenge if the situation worsens in the winter. 

Also, this time the government should remain strict about screening people coming from abroad and send them to quarantine mandatorily. The overall message, however, is clear - prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

We must educate and empower people to protect themselves from the infection of the virus. It needs no mentioning that self-defence is the best way to prevent a pandemic like corona. Also, we have to involve people with plans and programmes to control the virus. 

Without people’s involvement and cooperation, we would be tough to control the possible Covid-19 winter wave successfully.

The virus has not gone away. And we do not have a vaccine for it yet.  That means that mask-wearing and social distancing will remain 

essential, and we’ll need to keep using the same tools scientists have been clamouring for all along: surveill

ance testing, contact tracing and 

quarantine. 


Sayeed Hossain Shuvro is Editorial Assistant, 

Bangladesh Post