Fight dengue amid rising Covid cases

Dengue cases in the country are increasing day by day. The number of hospitalised dengue patients has reportedly crossed the 2,000 mark, indicating the fast-rising trend of the mosquito-borne disease. And this is happening in the midst of a surge in corona virus cases. Although the number of Covid-19 patients remains under 1,000 every day, media informs us that two more people died by the virus on Wednesday. Given this alarming situation, as many as 3.3 million people in Bangladesh have not yet received their first dose of vaccine. The government should continue the vaccination programme until everyone is inoculated. Besides, we need to strictly follow all the health protocols.
On the other hand, dengue cases are rising alarmingly. As of October 5, 18,646 dengue patients needed hospitalisation this year. Alongside Covid, the spiking number of dengue cases has added more pressure on our health sector. And many poor patients are not unable to afford exorbitant treatment costs. So, we need to emphasise on the preventive measures against these two viral diseases.
In case of dengue, we should destroy the breeding grounds of Aedes mosquitoes. As these mosquitoes prefer to breed in clean and stagnant water, cleaning up such pools will reduce their breeding grounds. Efficient sprays and repellents could be used for indoors. Use of mosquito nets is recommended for many reasons. If anyone is already infected, s/he should be kept inside mosquito nets so that others remain safe. Dengue can be fatal. Consult with your physician if you have the symptoms and, in the meantime, cleaning up potential mosquito-breeding areas can be a lifesaving preventive measure.

Al Amin Hossain,
Student of University of Chittagong, Chattogram,
alaminfinance1998@gmail.com