COVID-19 Pandemic In Bangladesh Research Articles

Impact of Stimulus Packages on Business Recovery During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Bangladesh

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted Bangladesh’s economy, leading to disruptions in supply chains and a decline in business activities. To counter these effects, the government introduced stimulus packages aiming to aid business recovery. This article evaluates the impact of these measures using a unique dataset from the Business Confidence Index survey conducted by the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling in April 2021. This survey covered 503 firms across eight divisions in Bangladesh. Using the Propensity Score Matching technique for causal estimation, findings suggest that firms that availed the stimulus packages demonstrated around 9 percentage points higher recovery than those that did not. Such insights are instrumental for future policy design and strengthening evidence-based policymaking.

A study of the decentralised administrative arrangements between the central and local governments in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis

PurposeDecentralised administrative arrangements and the active function of local government organisations are essential to tackle crisis effectively. Using Bangladesh as a case study, this paper examines the central and local government administrative arrangements during COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThis study applies qualitative content analysis and interviews to explore the local government’s role in Bangladesh’s COVID-19 management by interviews of 18 participants including government officials, experts, non-government organisations (NGOs) representatives, and the general public. This paper also analysed academic papers, policy documents and other publicly available documents, including newspaper reports.FindingsThe Constitution of Bangladesh intensified the active participation of local government in each administrative unit through decentralised administrative management. This paper however reveals that the administrative arrangement during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh was primarily a centrally led system. The local government was not sufficiently involved, nor had it integrated into the planning and coordination process. This indicated the absence of active decentralised administration.Originality/valueThis study fills the research gap of the administrative pattern and local relations in COVID-19 management by exploring the local government’s role during the catastrophic situation and highlights the importance of decentralised administrative actions in managing the crisis.

The Aspects of Food Security and Subsistence Systems of Climate-Induced Hazards Affected Coastal People in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Bangladesh

Climate change-induced hazards and environmental change pose great threats and vulnerabilities to the livelihoods and food security of forest-dependent coastal people in Bangladesh. Moreover, the recent surge of COVID-19 has aggravated this vulnerability manifold. This paper is an attempt to examine the aspects of food security and subsistence systems of coastal people in dual hazards. It also explores the gender roles and responses of coastal people in food security and subsistence systems in climatic hazards during the period of COVID-19. This project employed participant observation, in-depth interviews (N=55), and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs)(N=7) for collecting data. The findings of the research demonstrate that climate-induced hazards severely reduce the resources of the forest and river and threaten the food security of coastal people. Many of the coastal people are forced to change their occupations, diversify their livelihoods, or migrate to other places for subsistence. Moreover, the recent outbreak of COVID-19 restricts them in-house and stops their income-generating activities. In addition, forest departments do not allow them to enter forests to collect forest resources during and after the hazards, which severely affects their food security. In coastal areas, women play a great role in food security and subsistence systems, but dual hazards limit their working opportunities by restricting agricultural inputs, and technological support, disrupting the environment, closing markets, breaking supply chains, and so on. However, coastal people try to overcome these challenges by applying their local strategies. This paper helps policymakers and the government to gain insight into the real situation of coastal people during and after the hazards, which can influence policymakers to formulate effective policies for ensuring food security and creating alternative subsistence systems for coastal people in adversity.

Challenges Encountered by Healthcare Professionals as Frontline Fighters during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Bangladesh: A Qualitative Study

Throughout the pandemic, healthcare professionals (HCPs) around the world encountered numerous challenges. This study was conducted in the middle of the pandemic, from June to November 2021, and explored the multiple issues that HCPs faced in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Thirty doctors and nurses, covering a wide range of workplaces and experiences, were interviewed. A qualitative investigation was performed to assess the influence that diverse organizational, familial, social, and religious factors had on their commitment to fulfil their professional duties. Thematic content analysis was performed on the findings. The results emphasize the physical and mental health problems of HCPs, the vital role of organizations in addressing the wellbeing of HCPs, and the necessity of providing training for them, along with workloads and PPE-related problems. It also explores the roles of families, the influence of society, and the impact of religious beliefs on their commitment during the pandemic.

Outcome of COVID-19 Positive Patients in a COVID-19 Dedicated Referral Hospital

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh is a manifestation of the global outbreak of the coronavirus illness 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Bangladesh is the second most affected country in South Asia, following India.
 Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the outcome of COVID-19 Positive patients admitted in Central Police Hospital Dhaka, Bangladesh.
 Methodology: This was an observational cross-sectional study conducted in Central Police Hospital, Rajarbag Dhaka, Bangladesh during April 2020 to October 2020 and a total of 200 confirmed COVID-19 positive admitted patients from Covid Ward were enrolled in this study. The formal permission was taken from the registrar and the director of the hospital and the data were collected from the hospital registered copy and preserved in Microsoft Excel Software. The collected data were analyzed by Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version-23.0.
 Results: In this study a total of 200 study subjects were enrolled. All the study subjects100% were police personnel and their family members. Among the study subjects, 90(45%) were constable to sub-inspector and followed by 50(25%) inspector to upwards, 20(10%) retired police personnel and 40(20%) of their family members. The majority 60(30%) belonged to the age group (40-49) years. According to gender distribution, 89% patients were male and only 11% patients were female. Among the females (n=22), 7(31.81%) were observed pregnant and 15(68.19%) were observed non pregnant. Distribution by severity, 85% cases were mild to moderate and 15% cases were severe (critical) and received treatment in the ICU. According to the distribution of critical patients by age, 5%, 10%, 40% and 45% of the patients belonged to age group (0-39) years, (40-49) years, (50-59) years and above 60 years respectively. Only 12.3% patients received plasma therapy. Among the study subjects, the survival rate was 99% and the death rate was only 1%. According to the age distribution of the death cases, 0% death case belonged to age group (0-49) years and followed by 0.5% death case (50-60) years and 0.5% death case above 60 years.
 Conclusion: Among the front line fighters against Ccovid 19 Pandemic, police forces were the most vulnerable to be affected by the infection due to their close association with the population. Survival rate was high (99%) in contrast to the world perspective.

Fear and depression among health care professionals: a cross-sectional study during COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh

Background: COVID-19 pandemic is a public health emergency of international concern that can result in severe mental health conditions like depression and fear in health-care professionals (HCPs). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, where 834 HCPs were self-recruited via social media. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to identify predicting factors. Results: Approximately one-third of the total participants were depressed (27.3%) and those with depressive symptoms had significant fear of COVID-19. Significant risk factors for depressive symptoms were being female, being married, having no children, having high risk elderly persons at home, being afraid of death due to COVID-19 and having comorbid diseases. Fear of death due to COVID-19 was the most common significant contributing factor the scales for depression model, β=0.397, for fear of COVID-19 model and β=0.478 respectively. Quality of PPE played a vital role for depression as majority of HCPs. About 65.3% of HCPs who were restless while examining a patient with flu symptoms and majority of HCPs who felt insecure about their family members. Conclusions: Most of the HCPs faced several challenges during COVID-19 and psychological impacts of frontline HCPs were associated with interventions and rehabilitations to improve the mental health.

Lessons learned during online education experiences of kindergarten during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh

ABSTRACT This study explored the online education experiences of students, teachers and parents of kindergarten in Bangladesh during the emergency situation created by COVID-19. A qualitative research paradigm approach was followed. Students, teachers and parents of kindergartens from eight divisions of Bangladesh, one respondent of each category from each division, were selected through purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using mobile phones due to COVID-19. This study revealed that online education brought opportunities to engage students in academic activities and reduced education loss but created physical, psychological and video games addiction problems. Challenges that arose included device shortages, lack of training and technical skills, network connectivity problems, slow internet speed and the high-cost of internet data packages to implement the online education of kindergartens successfully. As the world comes out of the pandemic the learning acquired during this time informed possibilities for future online teaching in kindergarten including upskilling the early childhood workforce in this digital age.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Associated Deaths among Children under Five before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Bangladesh.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of acute lower respiratory infections in young children worldwide. RSV-associated deaths in children are underreported in Bangladesh. We analyzed hospital-based surveillance data on severe acute respiratory infections (SARIs) in under-five children before (August 2009-February 2020) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020-March 2022). Using the World Health Organization definition, we identified SARI cases in 14 tertiary-level hospitals. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs were collected for real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) testing of six respiratory viruses, including RSV. SARI deaths during the pandemic (2.6%, 66) were higher than pre-pandemic (1.8%, 159; p < 0.001). Nearly half of pandemic deaths (47%) had underlying respiratory viruses, similar to the pre-pandemic rate (45%). RSV detection in deaths was consistent pre-pandemic (13%, 20/159) and during the pandemic (12%, 8/66). Children aged < 6 months constituted 57% (16) of RSV-related deaths. Evaluating interventions like maternal vaccination and infant monoclonal antibody prophylaxis is crucial to address RSV, a major contributor to under-five SARI deaths.

Prevalence, Knowledge, Causes, and Practices of Self-Medication During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Bangladesh: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Introduction During the COVID-19 pandemic, self-medication (SM) has become a critical element in the healthcare system. SM can ease the burden on hospitals and medical resources by treating minor illnesses. However, inappropriate SM practices can lead to adverse drug reactions, drug resistance, and incorrect diagnoses, resulting in poor health outcomes. Methods To evaluate the prevalence, knowledge, causes, and practices of SM among the Bangladeshi population during the COVID-19 outbreak, a cross-sectional survey with structured questionnaires was conducted in Chittagong City, Bangladesh, from March to May 2022. The survey included 265 participants, with an average age of 35.09 years, and a multiple-choice questionnaire was used to gather information. Results The study found that 64.15% of the respondents had sufficient knowledge of SM, while 35.8% had insufficient knowledge. The primary reasons for SM during the pandemic were the influence of friends/family (90.74%), fear of infection or contact with COVID-19 cases (73.15%), and fear of quarantine or self-isolation (72.22%). Analgesics/pain relievers (84%) were the most commonly used drugs for SM for COVID-19 prevention and treatment. Antiulcerants/antacid (42%), vitamin C and multivitamins (42%), and antibiotics (32%) were also frequently used. Conclusion This study suggests that SM is prevalent among Chittagong City residents, particularly those with less than a tertiary education. The study highlights the importance of building awareness about SM practices and taking necessary steps to control them.

Risk communication and community engagement in the context of COVID-19 response in Bangladesh: a qualitative study.

The global COVID-19 pandemic profoundly impacted nations worldwide, and Bangladesh was no exception. In response, the government of Bangladesh implemented community awareness initiatives aimed at containing the spread of the virus, aligned with international guidelines and recommendations. Despite these efforts, a lack of comprehensive community awareness programs played an essential role during the pandemic, not the preventive measures. A qualitative study employing framing theory was conducted to gain a deeper insight into how the social context influenced risk communication and community response throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. The study was conducted in four selected districts of Bangladesh from February to May 2022 using complementary data collection methods, including key informant interviews, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions with purposely selected participants. Data were analyzed thematically by following six steps of the thematic analysis process. Codes were developed based on the data and summarized into themes and sub-themes grounded on the codes. The findings indicate that the government of Bangladesh, along with development partners and non-government organizations, made a significant effort to raise awareness about COVID-19 in the community. However, there were certain limitations to this effort. These include a lack of social science and public health approaches to understanding the pandemic; inadequate coordination among the authorities for COVID-19 prevention and control; technological and geographical barriers for disseminating messages; the living conditions and lack of facilities; socio-cultural norms in understanding the COVID-19 health messages, and the gendered understanding of the messages. The findings also revealed that the awareness activities remained a one-way approach to inform the people and faced challenges to actively engage and create ownership of the community in the pandemic response. The study identified gaps in implementing risk communication and community engagement strategies in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic. Increasing focus on public health and prioritizing community ownership is essential to designing a more effective community awareness campaign. This approach will help ensure that health messages are communicated effectively and tailored to different communities' needs.

Blended Learning Experience during COVID-19 in Bangladesh: Rethinking the Barriers in the context of Higher Secondary Level Learners

The blended learning approach played a vital role to continue educational activities during COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. The traditional face to face classroom teaching -learning system was totally disrupted during pandemic time. The educational activities were continued through different online platforms during pandemic time. Online instructions became popular and effective throughout the pandemic. Teaching -learning activities in different educational institutions in Bangladesh experiences manifold barriers at that time. The present paper aimed at rethinking the barriers of blended learning approach during COVID-19 in HSC level learners of Bangladesh. Randomly selected 360 respondents have been surveyed through a semi-structured survey questionnaire. This paper revealed that blended learning approach faced the problem of poor internet connection, challenge in two way communication, financial constraint, difficulties in presenting online presentation, submitting assignment, lack of experience regarding activity through internet, online group works, online apathy, fear in using internet, noisy environment etc. Finally, this study proposed some recommendations to overcome the barriers of blended learning approach in new normal situation in Bangladesh perspective.

University Students’ Productive Engagement: A Study from COVID-19 Pandemic in Bangladesh

Abstract: The purpose of the study is to encapsulate the engagement of university students in diversified productive activities during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the pre-COVID situation. A total of 215 responses from university students representing both males (60.5%) and females (39.5%) were collected through an online survey and the questionnaire included both open and closed-ended questions. The result shows the involvement of 32.1 percent of students in different volunteering, 61.4 percent in different self-development, and 53.5 percent in various income-generating activities during the period of COVID-19 academic shutdown together with various challenges faced by the students for not being engaged in any of these productive activities during this period. The findings also revealed that time spent on each category of activities remained higher during the COVID-19 situation than in the pre-COVID period. Online involvement (27%) during the COVID-19 restricted period and physical involvement (40.9%) in the pre-COVID period have dominated their manner of participation in productive activities. The outcome of the present study and the model generated by the authors will promote the scope to know more comprehensively about students’ engagement in different productive activities giving them important insight to utilize their valuable time and future course of action amid the loss of the COVID-19 pandemic with the support from public and private organizations, educational institutions. The value of these findings and the associated model can be used to create a suitable ambiance for doing productive activities for university students and for being proactive.

FACTORS IMPACTING FINANCIAL LOSS OF SMALL TOURISM BUSINESSES DUE TO COVID-19

Small tourism businesses are extremely affected by COVID-19 pandemic all over the world. The pandemic scenario in case of small tourism businesses in third-world country like Bangladesh was much critical. The study aims at evaluating factors responsible for financial loss of small tourism businesses due to COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. To address the objective, Chi-square test, and logistic regression modeling have been applied to the quantitative primary data. This study finds that education of the owner/manager, type of organization, office location, year of establishment, main target customer and revenue earned before pandemic have significant relationship with financial loss during COVID-19. The results of the research would assist entrepreneurs and policy-makers in weighing different factors directly connected with the profit or loss in business and to formulate strategies for unpredicted crises.

Quality midwifery care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh: A focus group study with midwives, nurses, and midwifery educators.

Bangladesh has made remarkable strides in the development of the midwifery profession. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has had profound effects on healthcare systems worldwide, including those related to reproductive, perinatal, and maternal health. Given the recent advancements in the midwifery field in Bangladesh, it is crucial to examine the pandemic's impact on existing barriers and the capacity of midwifery professionals to deliver high-quality care. The aim of this study is to describe the possibility of midwives being able to provide quality midwifery care in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic. To gather insights, data were collected from July to October 2020 via four qualitative focus group discussions online; 23 actively practicing midwives, nurses specializing in midwifery care, and midwifery educators, participated. The data analysis employed reflexive thematic analysis. The COVID-19 crisis posed significant threats to women's safety and health, with lockdowns exacerbating gender inequalities in society. Midwives faced added challenges due to their relatively low professional status and increased workloads. Insufficient policy implementation further compromised midwives' safety. Fear of contracting the virus and working during their free time also raised concerns about the quality of care provided. Nevertheless, the pandemic provided opportunities for midwives to demonstrate their ability to deliver independent midwifery care in Bangladesh. The pandemic underscored the importance of creating respectful and dignified working conditions for midwives. It revealed that professional midwives can work independently when provided with the necessary space and a supportive work environment. This opens the door for the implementation of a midwifery-led care model. Further research is recommended to investigate the medical safety and efficacy of independent midwifery care in the context of Bangladesh.

NGO Resilience: Sustaining Education in Underprivileged Primary Schools Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic in Bangladesh

During the outbreak of COVID-19, all schools and universities in Bangladesh as well as around the globe were closed. For this reason, a large proportion of the disadvantaged students absented themselves from school. This study aims to gain insight into the actual state of underprivileged primary schools in Dhaka that are run by NGOs. Fundamentally, the study looked at how schools are adapting to change and what methods they are using for students interested in continuing their education. Results from qualitative research such as in-depth interviews with participants and FGDs are presented. According to the study, although they were forced to temporarily turn away from their education because of the pandemic, children in underprivileged institutions persevered with their schooling. The pandemic overall brought a massive hurdle to daily life, but people have gotten used to it. It seemed that when the schools closed low-income children would be hard hit. In reality, however, it wasn't nearly as bad as people feared. The study's findings would be extremely useful for gaining a deeper comprehension of the schools' initiatives and motivations amidst the pandemic.

Pashe Achhi: A Low-Tech Model of Learning and Psychosocial Support for Children and Caregivers

ABSTRACT Pashe Achhi is a telecommunication model that emerged out of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh to provide support to 0- to 5-year-old children and their caregivers through mobile-to-mobile phone calls. It is a caregiver-child facing and/or only caregiver focused, low-resource, low-tech model that constitutes a 20-minute phone call. The phone calls include a 10-minute psychosocial support segment to caregivers and a 10-minute stimulation segment to their children through play. After the initial intervention period during the pandemic, this model has been tested further and evaluated based on two modalities: 5-month and 9-month interventions. An experimental study design using randomized assignment of the treatment and comparison group was used for this evaluation. The improvement in cognitive development scores among children has been found to be higher after 5 months than after 9 months of intervention. The model has implications for further research as an early childhood development (ECD) solution during crisis situations and ECD access to children of ultra-poor households.

Awareness to Action: Strengthening RCCE, Combating Future Pandemics in Bangladesh

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh, the risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) platform aimed to provide accurate information and encourage community engagement to minimise risks. The RCCE partners utilised behaviour change approaches to motivate people to take appropriate action and collaborated with communities to develop plans based on their unique circumstances. Throughout the pandemic, the RCCE platform worked tirelessly to disseminate real-time information and facilitate communication among frontline health providers, community outreach workers and community members in partnership with various stakeholders. This article addresses several possible questions regarding the effectiveness and efficiency of the RCCE response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. Was the RCCE platform able to swiftly and efficiently orchestrate a campaign that yielded results for the country? Was there a concrete platform in place, which could address the challenges posed by the pandemic? Lastly, what revisions could be envisioned for the next pandemic response?

FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF ENGINEERING COMPANIES IN AN EMERGING ECONOMY: BEFORE AND AFTER COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on numerous companies in emerging economies, including the engineering sector, due to factors such as lockdown restrictions and disruptions in the supply chain. Moreover, many companies within the engineering sector witnessed a decline in their financial performance as a result of the pandemic. This study is conducted to assess the influence of COVID-19 on the financial performance of the engineering sector in emerging country - Bangladesh. The study considers the secondary data from the listed companies in Dhaka Stock Exchange, focusing on engineering companies. This study utilized a quantitative research methodology employing a thematic approach. To evaluate financial performance, changes in net profit, changes in revenue growth and three relative performance ratios - liquidity ratio, profitability ratio and solvency ratio are used to compare the corporate performance before and after the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. It is found that the financial performances in the listed companies in Bangladesh are not facing as much obstacle as it is observed in developed economy. This result implies that the impact of covid-19 is sharply visible in the economy but it is not as much risky as the developed economy. This result will help the corporate people in the developing economy to adopt necessary initiatives to cope up the upcoming natural issues.

Health sector corruption in the times of COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh: Newspapers as mirrors of society

ObjectiveThis paper aimed to identify and explore the major areas of health-sector corruption during COVID-19 pandemic as revealed in the print media. Findings are expected to mitigate health sector corruption in the country and contribute to strengthening the health systems. Method2588 news articles on health topics were identified through scanning six leading newspapers in Bangladesh during Mar. 2020 to Mar. 2021. Of these, 97 news articles focusing on corruption in health system were selected for analysis. FindingsFindings reveal an all-embracing corruption at every stage, starting from procurement of medical supplies, to testing for COVID-19 to treatment and management of COVID-19 cases. The news papers reported about the low quality and general-purpose masks given to the frontline health workers, putting their personal protection from the virus at risk. Due to lack of stewardship and an effective monitoring system, quite a few private facilities were providing fake COVID-19 certificates, medicines and medical equipment at very high prices. For example, one particular hospital provided almost two thousand COVID-19 test certificates without testing. Although PPEs were originally sold at BDT 2000 per piece, double the amount was proposed for buying PPEs. Meropenem injection of the same quality was purchased by different government hospitals at unusually high prices. Among the measures taken to contain corruption during COVID-19 included filing cases, issuing arrest warrants and asking for submission of wealth statement and source of income of the accused persons. However, some of the accused eventually got released on bail. ConclusionThe media, as a mirror of the society, successfully made visible the underhand corruption that was happening even during the pandemic, fulfilling its obligations to the society. They faced quite some challenges in revealing related news, especially from the government whose initial reaction was of denial and indifference.Due to lack of transparency and accountability in the sector, the patients as well as the healthcare providers had to suffer a lot.

Gender Disparities of Youths in Trust on Health Management Systems during Post-COVID-19 in Bangladesh

AbstractIntroduction: To tackle deadly pandemics like COVID-19, men and women have to have faith in the country's health management system. The purpose of this paper is to find out the gender-based disparities in trust in the public health measures taken in Bangladesh during post COVID -19 pandemic.Methods: A cross-sectional study design and quantitative research approach were used to collect primary data. A total of 742 students from different socioeconomic backgrounds participated in the survey randomly by filling up a structured questionnaire from 15 June 2022 to 10 July 2022. The Wilks’ λ statistic, MANOVA and Regression analysis were performed in this study to find out the gender-based differences in trust in the public health measures taken in Bangladesh during post COVID -19 pandemic. Results: In a multivariate test, the p-value is 0.018 (p&lt;0.05), which implies a significant difference between the trust of male and female among youths about public health measures during the post COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. This study provides that overall infrastructure, responsiveness and attachments have a significant correlation with youth trust as all the p-values &lt; 0.001. Conclusions: Health infrastructure and youths’ attachment to the various networks and institutions have more impact on determining the level of trust in government health measures during the post pandemic than the way of government responsiveness; policymakers and advocates will get significant insight from the findings of the study during post COVID-19. Without gender sensitive health policy measures, gaining citizen trust for the government will be difficult.