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4 years ago

Unnecessary panic will hinder efforts to prevent COVID-19

IEDCR says

Prof Meerjady Sabrina Flora
Prof Meerjady Sabrina Flora

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The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) has said unnecessary panic about the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) will hinder efforts to prevent the disease.

"Rumours should not be spread on the issue. Foreign nationals or Bangladesh returnees from abroad are being harassed," IEDCR Director Prof Meerjady Sabrina Flora said at a media briefing on Saturday, reports bdnews24.com.

“Some overenthusiastic people are creating embarrassing situations. We were informed that house owners are not letting their tenants enter the houses. A Chinese national was not allowed to enter his rented house and had to spend the night in a hotel,” she said.

If someone is really infected with the coronavirus, then keeping them outside will spread the disease furthermore, Flora said.

“We have said the China returnees should remain at home. We’ll put the entire country at risk by not allowing them to enter their apartments. Now, if anyone has the symptoms of the disease, they’ll conceal it fearing the social stigma.”

In Bangladesh, 77 people were checked for coronavirus infections but none of them tested positive, said the IEDCR director.

The conditions of the five Bangladeshi nationals infected with the coronavirus in Singapore remain the same, she said. One of them is in critical condition, but the health authorities still hope for his recovery, she added.

“They’re trying their best. We hope everyone will recover and go home.”

Another Bangladeshi has been infected with the novel coronavirus in the United Arab Emirates, the health ministry of UAE said.

Globally, 77,000 people have been infected with the virus as of Friday while the death toll rose to 2,360.

Prof Meerjady Sabrina Flora, the director of IEDCR, briefing the media on Tuesday on the health condition of Bangladeshis evacuated from China amid the new coronavirus outbreak. -bdnews24.com photo

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