A third wave of coronavirus may hit Bangladesh as the fatal disease has transmitted afresh to some countries, health experts have feared.

They have suggested gearing up the Covid-19 vaccination and maintaining health guidelines, including wearing of masks.

“If coronavirus enters our country from abroad, the cases may increase in Bangladesh,” Prof Dr Robed Amin, a spokesperson for the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), told the Daily Sun.

He said the screening of passengers coming from abroad will have to be intensified at the airports in the country.

“If a common variant of corona comes from abroad, it will not be troublesome for us. But if a new variant comes, it will be difficult to face the situation,” Dr Robed added.

According to the DGHS, the daily corona infection rate has remained below 2 percent for the last few weeks and the country reported the daily positivity rate below 3 percent on the 48th consecutive day.

In the second wave, the coronavirus situation started worsening in June and reached its peak in July.

The catastrophic situation continued till mid of August this year during the second wave of the pandemic in Bangladesh.

Earlier on March 11 this year, the health directorate recorded a 5.82 percent positivity rate. On June 7, 11.47 percent positivity rate was reported followed by an alarming rise in infections which reached its peak at 32.55 percent on July 24 this year.

Between May and June this year, there was a 273 percent rise in monthly caseloads and 162 per cent in fatalities. In July, there was a 150 per cent increase in caseloads and a 170 per cent rise in deaths compared to the previous month, according to a WHO report.

The DGHS data said the daily infection rate started declining from the beginning of September.  In the first three days of September this year, the infection rate was a little bit over 10 percent but the rate declined to below 10 percent from September 4 and below 5 percent infection rate was reported on September 21.

Last year, the infection rate had started declining from first week of September and the daily infection rate was 15 percent during the time.

Later, the infection rate declined to 12 percent. The infection rate was near 12 percent in October 2020.

During the second wave of coronavirus, the highest of 264 deaths was recorded in the country on August 5 and August 10 while the highest of 16,230 cases were reported on July 28.

Talking to the Daily Sun, Prof Dr Nazrul Islam, member of National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19 said, “The third wave of the Covid-19 may hit the country in the upcoming March. The viral interference due to indigenous viruses of the county may resist the coronavirus before hitting by the corona.”

If the government can vaccinate a large number of people, the third wave may get delayed in the country, he added.

Due to a fresh surge of coronavirus in Europe, many countries have already imposed a fresh lockdown in a bid to resist transmission of the virus in wide range in the respective countries, media reports said.

Austria imposes a full lockdown further on Monday and Germany may follow it, as coroanvirus grips Europe further. A fourth wave of infections has plunged Germany into a national emergency.

The World Health Organization is “very worried” about the spread of Covid-19 in Europe as the continent battles a fresh wave of infections.

Speaking to the BBC, regional director Dr Hans Kluge warned that 500,000 more deaths could be recorded by March unless urgent action is taken.

Countries, including Czech Republic and Slovakia, have also announced fresh restrictions on unvaccinated people as record infection rates are recorded across the continent.

Talking to the Daily Sun, noted virologist Dr ASM Alamgir, principal of Scientific Officer of Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control & Research (IEDCR), said if people receive coronavirus vaccine and maintain preventive measures like wearing masks and washing hands, Covid-19 may not surge afresh in Bangladesh.

“Otherwise, since a fresh rise in coronavirus cases has been seen in some European countries already, another wave of the virus infection may hit the country. Because Bangladesh has communications with the European countries,” he added.

Dr Mohammad Mushtuq Husain, adviser to the IEDCR, said all new coronavirus patients should be kept under close observation and their treatment and proper isolation also will have to be ensured to face any third wave of the infection of the deadly pathogen.

Mentioning that there is no alternative to maintaining health guidelines to prevent the disease, he said the old people will have to be brought under vaccination immediately.

“We have taken preparations to face the possible next wave of coronavirus as we have some Covid-19 dedicated hospitals, set up a field hospital at BSMMU. The patients may be admitted to the regular hospitals too,” Prof Dr ABM Khurshid Alam, director general of the DGHS, told the Daily Sun.