It was thought for a while that Covid-19 was largely an exclusive urban disease. There was this myth that it spared the poor, the villagers and the pious. Social media is full of such declarations and people go on air explaining the strange and “noble” discrimination of this virus.
The first wave of virus was largely of a variant that was less harmful for South Asians and thus it affected them less. Plus, villagers were not confined to closed spaces and were into safer lifestyles despite poverty. So, several causes were behind the low levels of virus infected people and people became complacent particularly in the villages and slums.
That has changed with the recent surge as data shows that at least half of the infected are from the villages. Media reports say, “The community transmission of COVID-19 has reached villages across Bangladesh and 50 percent of the current caseload comes from rural areas, according to a government calculation.” (Bdnews24 .com)
National data is now clearly indicating a very different kind of a pandemic with the infection hitting those who are least protected by the formal care system particularly hospital care. Dr ABM Khurshid Alam, director general of DGHS, said on Monday that all epidemiological data points to a surge in the rural areas. “Over 50 percent of patients are from villages.”
Villages are more vulnerable because both the healthcare system and information system are missing. No information pushes them to be careful or go for testing. Symptoms are often misread. Many think that season changes, heat, rains etc are all responsible for the running noses, cough, fever etc. Unfortunately in many cases its covid and the price is paid through late or non-hospitalizations.
Dr. Alam has said that this is happening in every Upazila and by the time they arrive, it’s already too late in most cases. While that syndrome is common everywhere for any poor people, it’s the vulnerability that matters most. The nature of the virus in the first surge was the best protection the poor and the villagers had. Now that it’s gone, the battle to get things right is many times more for our already weak and further weakened by Covid health care system.
It’s obvious that mass vaccination and mask wearing are the only two serious protections that can offer protection. Sadly, Bangladesh is well behind in both cases. However, the slightly fumbling efforts made during the first surge won’t carry Bangladesh through. And the impact will be felt far beyond the health sector. Agriculture, remittance and even rmg are dependent on the rural labour market and if they fail, the effect will be national. And that is the contingent crisis that we face and are looking a bit helpless.
It’s true most people were unprepared for the first surge but the second surge gave everyone a lead time. Lack of precreation due to shortage of time won’t work in this round. And that is why the situation looks serious because Covid has gone national but the state is lagging behind.
