The Directorate General of Health Services has sent a set of clinical guidelines to all medical institutions citing omicron as the chief reason for the uptick of COVID-19 cases in Bangladesh.
Studies -- carried out by icddr,b and BSMMU -- reveal that Bangladesh is currently diagnosing omicron cases at a higher rate than the delta variant, DGHS spokesperson Prof Dr Nazmul Islam said in a virtual bulleting on Wednesday, reports bdnews24.com.
“Experts think coronavirus cases are soaring due to omicron. A clinical guideline on it has been finalised,” he said.
“The guideline contains new information. We’ve sent the guideline to our health-related institutions.”
Since its discovery in South Africa in late November, the highly-contagious omicron variant spread in Bangladesh in mid-December.
Bangladesh reported more than 15,000 cases of infections for the second consecutive day on Wednesday. While Dhaka remains the epicentre of the outbreak, cases in Chattogram, Rajshahi and Sylhet divisions are swiftly going up.
“The symptoms of omicron have been added in the [clinical guidelines]. We’re also looking for symptoms outside those,” Dr Nazmul said.
DGHS earlier this week said that 73 per cent of the people infected with omicron show symptoms including runny nose, headache, fatigue, weakness and sneezing.
Dr Nazmul reiterated the importance of following health rules to combat the spread of the disease and keep things under control.
“Following health rules, maintaining physical distance, wearing masks, washing hands with soap are crucial to prevent the spread of the infection. It is possible to curb the spread by following these protocols.”
On Wednesday, Bangladesh reported 15,527 new coronavirus cases, taking the total caseload to 1,731,524.
The death toll rose to 28,273 as 17 more patients died from the disease in the 24 hours to 8 am on Wednesday, according to the latest government data.
More than 100,000 cases were recorded in the 13 days since Jan 12.