Health experts are warning of a significant rise in fevers across Bangladesh caused by Dengue, COVID-19, Chikungunya, and Zika viruses.
At a seminar on Tuesday at Bangladesh Medical University (BMU), medical researchers said the increase in patients with fever and cold symptoms over the past month has left even doctors concerned. They are sometimes struggling to identify the exact cause of the illnesses.
“There is confusion not just among the public, but also among us doctors about what type of fever this is,” one expert said at the event. “Beyond Dengue, Chikungunya, or COVID, there are some fevers we actually can’t detect.”
He added that more research is needed to determine “if a new virus has arrived, or if new variants of existing viruses” are circulating. Some patients are also being diagnosed with “Florona,” a co-infection of influenza and COVID-19.
Health experts are downplaying the threat from the new Omicron variant, urging people to focus on a much more clear and present danger: Dengue. The risk of dying from a Dengue infection is on the rise, they warn, largely due to delays in getting proper treatment. To put it in perspective, they explain that while Chikungunya can leave you in agony, it rarely kills. Dengue, on the other hand, is proving to be a different beast entirely.
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“Dengue patients can develop fluid overload… fluid management should be very dynamic,” one specialist explained. He stressed that doctors should monitor a patient’s hematocrit levels closely, not just their platelet count.
In response, a new national guideline for Dengue management has been developed. Experts at the seminar strongly urged that all doctors and healthcare workers be trained on these new protocols.
The experts on the panel stressed that fighting this is a team effort, starting with the doctors themselves. They said the country has a solid, life-saving playbook in the national Dengue guideline, but it only works if everyone uses it.
“We can protect the people of our country,” one argued, “but only if all our doctors are on the same page.” To the public, their advice was simple: be smart, not scared. And to those who are sick, they made a personal appeal: please let the medical staff do their jobs. Your cooperation is critical for them to be able to help you.
