Quarantined China returnees go home

The 312 returnees from Chinese coronavirus hit city of Wuhan were yesterday released from the capital's Ashkona Hajj Camp after a 14-day quarantine.

"That was a horrendous situation for us! Now I am free to go home," one of the female returnees told The Daily Star over phone yesterday evening.

On February 1, these Bangladeshis who were stranded in China's Wuhan -- the epicentre of the COVID-19 [initially was named as novel coronavirus] outbreak -- were flown back home in a chartered flight.

As the new deadly virus can sustain up to 14 days without showing any symptom in the host, a 14-day quarantine is the current global practice for anybody who visits Wuhan or gets in touch with anybody infected.

As part of the process, authorities kept all of these returnees quarantined inside the camp for the last 14 days.

The health staffers started the final screening process at the four desks set up at the camp around 5:00pm yesterday.

The authorities also provided a health certificate to all of them as no symptoms were found in them during the screening.

The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) supervised the process.

"We have screened all of the returnees in the camp. None of them had any symptoms. They are free to leave the camp now," Dr ASM Alamgir, principal scientific officer at the IEDCR told The Daily Star last night.

"But those who want to stay here at night for any reason will be provided accommodation till tomorrow (today) morning," he added.

The IEDCR will keep contact with the returnees for a few more days.

Meanwhile, Prof Meerjady Sabrina Flora, director at the IEDCR, informed that they have tested samples form 62 people, including a Chinese citizen, in their laboratory.

None of them were tested COVID-19 positive, she said

"Bangladesh is not among the high risk countries for COVID-19 outbreak, though we have some risks. However, we have nothing to worry," Prof Flora said.

She also said that the IEDCR is able to provide test result within two to three hours as they have collected new reagents for detecting COVID-19 recently.

Besides, the center for disease control (CDC) under the directorate general of health services (DGHS) has officially asked for ten thermal scanners to World Health Organisation.

"We have sent a demand letter. Our capacity would increase once we receive these machines," Dr Shahnila Ferdousi, director of CDC told The Daily Star recently.

Meanwhile, five Bangladeshis infected with COVID in Singapore are receiving medical treatment in the country. One of them has been kept at the intensive care unit.

So far, a total of 67 cases have been identified in Singapore.

Singapore's Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (Dorscon) has been raised to orange on February 7.

Health officials at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) said that they had enhanced their special screening for the passengers who are coming from Singapore.

"Several Bangladeshis have been infected in Singapore. So we have taken the same measures for passengers returning from China and Singapore," Dr Shahriar Sajjat, assistant health director at HSIA told The Daily Star yesterday.