In Bangladesh, deaths have taken the shape of mere statistics similar to the rest of the world. However, the agonising wait of the victims and their families in uncertainty is not something to be ignored. As the cases and deaths mount up day by day, the pain and sufferings of those poor souls remain unheard of.
Although the large majority of cases will pass without raising alarms, a small minority will require hospitalisation. Possibly, the most jarring aspect of someone getting a severe infection of COVID-19, spending 10-20 days in the hospital - part of it on a ventilator- and then losing the battle for life is that almost certainly from the day he or she is hospitalised to the end, they will not be able to have the love and support of their near and dear ones by their side.
Even the consolation of burial must be foregone by the families, with IEDCR stepping in to complete the formalities in keeping with safety protocols, for the highly contagious virus may persist on deceased bodies. The risk of transmission from handling dead bodies of COVID-19 patients is considered low, but cannot be ruled out.
Though it is difficult to have the names or other specific details of the victims due to stigmatization, the UNB managed to track down one such family of an elderly victim who was among the early patients who succumbed to the disease in Bangladesh, to learn about their experience.
Iqbal Abdullah, 40, a bank official, is a resident of Mirpur’s Tolarbagh area under Darus Salam Police Station. He lost his father to COVID-19 at the age of 73 on the early morning of March 21 around 3am (night of Mar 20) at Delta Medical College hospital of Darus Salam Road in Mirpur.
“My father visited Bangladesh Specialized hospital in Shyamoli on March 15 because of a higher than normal heart rate. He was suffering from fever and cough also,” Iqbal told UNB.
The doctors advised the 73-year old for additional tests on March 16, but not the COVID-19 test.
“As his condition was deteriorating, we took him to Bangladesh Specialized Hospital again on March 17 but he was denied admission. He was admitted to Kalyanpur Ibn Sina Hospital the next day,” Iqbal added. That was the last they saw of him.
His father was shifted to Delta Medical College Hospital around 1:30 am on March 18 as no ICU was available in Ibn Sina Hospital while the patient's condition degraded further. This was all happening without the family’s presence.
“We came to know that my father was tested for COVID-19, and it came out positive around 12:30 pm on March 20 from IEDCR. He breathed his last around 3:00 am on March 21 at Delta Medical College Hospital,” Iqbal told UNB.
Iqbal Abdullah and family live in two apartments of a nine-storied building in Tolarbagh, which emerged as the first real ‘hotspot’ to draw the authorities’ attention in Bangladesh right around that time.
“Around 21 people, including my mother, brothers, and sisters, alongside other relatives were living in the two apartments when my father died. The building was locked down as part of preventive measures,” he said.
“It was really shocking that even me and my brothers could not attend the funeral of our father when IEDCR arranged the burial,” Iqbal added.
The IEDCR tested samples of Iqbal’s mother, elder brother, younger brother, elder sister and their family driver. Only his mother was tested positive though she had no visible symptom.
“My mother was admitted to Kuwait Maitree Hospital immediately from where she was released on April 1,” he said.
Although Iqbal’s family did not face any negativity from his neighbours, his driver was rather unfortunate, as he was denied entry to his rented house in another part of town.
Iqbal pointed out that his family fell victim to misinformation and fake news during this ordeal as well, after IEDCR initially failed to pinpoint how his exposure to the virus occurred.
“Though my elder sister and her husband are residents of Chittagong, a few media published reports that they came from abroad carrying the coronavirus. The news was very shocking for us,” Iqbal Abdullah said.
In fact, his father’s case now stands as the earliest recorded instance pointing to community-based transmission in Bangladesh, as no epidemiologic link could be established to those who may have carried the virus from abroad or otherwise confirmed cases.
Iqbal confirmed that other members of his and his elder sister’s family, as well as other guests who were staying with them during the lockdown, did not contract the disease.
“We continued home quarantine up to April 6. Not a single member of any other families living in our apartment building was infected,” Iqbal added.
As Bangladesh braces for a difficult few weeks ahead, it remains to be seen how deeply the experience of Iqbal and his family resonates throughout the country.