Facing the challenge of COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh: Critical Care Physicians need to define their role and share the burden

摘要

Since the first cases of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), were identified in China in December, 2019, Bangladesh began to pick up COVID positive cases beginning March 2020. Initially there was paucity of testing kits for RT PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) and initially there was only one testing lab for COVID 19. So primarily only people who had travel history and travelers arriving at the airport were tested. Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research of Bangladesh (sole govt. centre for epidemiological studies) otherwise known as IEDCR, picked up first 3 positive cases on March 08 20201 . Initially the number of positive cases were surprisingly low compared to our potentially exposed population. Since April 04 Bangladesh witnessed gradual increase in positive cases as number of testing centres were established in different parts the country and our country received plenty of testing kits from abroad. According to IEDCR, up till April 16 2020, 17000 tests were done and our country witnessed 1572 total positive cases and total number of COVID positive deaths added up to sixty. Since then number of positive cases and number of COVID related deaths have been slowly and steadily rising at an arithmetic progression.