Stay home, stay well: Beware of dengue

Due to the continued shutdown, people are staying home to contain the spread of the highly contagious and the deadly coronavirus.

Staying inside the home is safe but due to the season now, there is a chance of getting infected with dengue. It is worth noting that Aedes mosquitoes tend to bite during the day.

"Staying inside the house means the chance of dengue infection is high," Jahidur Rahman, assistant professor at Virology at Shahid Suhrawardy Medical College, told The Daily Star yesterday.

He said the chances of dengue infection rises if mosquito prevention step is not taken in the house.

Jahid said the symptom of dengue and covid-19 is very similar -- fever.

"Houses should be kept clean and there should be no place where water can stand still. So, while coronavirus is one issue, dengue is another very important issue to be aware of," he said.

The country witnessed the worst ever dengue situation last year and the authorities should take preventive measures right away to avoid a repeat of such an outbreak, Jahid said.

A total 1,01,354 dengue cases were reported last year, of which 49,544 were outside Dhaka. The number of deaths from dengue was 179, according to the Directorate General of Health Services.

The virologist said that it is better to install mosquito nets on doors and windows and hanging the mosquito net over the bed.

In case anyone is infected with dengue, Jahid suggested keeping the patient under a mosquito net at all times to prevent Aedes mosquitoes spreading the viruses to healthy people.