1. Introduction
The global population is suffering from a pandemic from the Coronavirus or the COVID-19 outbreak. It has proven to be a life-threatening disease and according to the World Health Organization (WHO), it has similar symptoms such as the regular flu including fever, tiredness and very dry cough with nasal congestion. The most severe cases lead to respiratory diseases and have caused around 25, 000 deaths across the world. Not only is this pandemic harmful to physical health but is affecting the mental health of millions of people from fear and losing jobs (knowing the risk for Covid-19, 2020).
In such times, Bangladesh has been under lockdown with a growing number of suspected cases and deaths. The government is encouraging its people on a daily and consistent basis to stay home and safe. It should be noted that in this global crisis, what is causing more harm is fake news and rumors. These fake news and rumors revolve around suspected cases, several the death toll, apparent ways of prevention and treatments of the corona virus (covid-19 impact and responses Bangladesh, 2020)
Fake news and rumors are prevalent as it raises more paranoia among those who have less access to authentic news sources, and those who lack media literacy. It has been known to cause clashes among neighbors. Also, the rumors regarding certain remedies that may cure a COVID-19 affected patient without seeking professional medical help, may possibly lead to death due to negligence and authentic information (what is covid-19 and how does it spread, 2020).
A practical example of rumor was spread when a physician from Chittagong released a 35 second audio clip claiming about deaths caused due to corona virus which stirred up massive paranoia and confusion. As this went viral due to thousands of shares across Facebook, he was arrested. But not all fake news or rumors come to light although they may have an impact in lives anyway.
Where there is a lack of media literacy, people have difficulty in differentiating between fake and real news. Considering this in mind, we have come down to a plan of campaign in combating the spread of fake news. Therefore, we wish to begin by focusing on ULAB students. We believe that by working to improve the lives of ULAB students, our campaign will also directly have an impact on those related to them. Combating the spread of fake news is crucial at this time. As people are looking for a ray of hope in every corner and constantly scrolling through social media, it is normal that they would give into the consumption of news without authenticating it. That is why it is high time that we be on the lookout for such news that may result in false hope, or harm someone‘s mental health as much as we can. It is our duty as the youth to step up and spread awareness in the right methods and take the right safety measures.
2.Covid-19
Coronavirus is a type of common virus that infects humans, typically leading to an upper respiratory infection (URI.) Seven different types of human coronavirus have been identified. Most people will be infected with at least one type of coronavirus in their lifetime. The viruses are spread through the air by coughing and sneezing, close personal contact, touching an object or surface contaminated with the virus and rarely, by fecal contamination. The illness caused by most coronaviruses usually lasts a short time and is characterized by runny nose, sore throat, feeling unwell, cough, and fever (Medicinenet, 2020).
3.Introduction
We all are concerned about Covid-19 because it‘s spreading day by day. Already a huge number of people lost their lives. Everyone is staying at home and maintaining personal hygiene to protect them. All the streets in our country are incredibly empty. Dhaka is usually full of sounds of interaction, energy and a growing economy. These are the sounds of people making money; People who could get by financially. As per the government's decision schools, colleges, universities, offices, garments and all workstations are closed since 18th march. We all know that our economic system is not that stable to fight this situation. Still everyone is trying.
4.Overview
According to WHO Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. Older people and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness. The best way to prevent and slow down transmission is to be well informed about the COVID-19 virus, the disease it causes and how it spreads. Protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol based rub frequently and not touching your face. The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it‘s important that you also practice respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow). Currently, there are no specific vaccines or treatments for COVID-19. However, there are many ongoing clinical trials evaluating potential treatments. WHO will continue to provide updated information as soon as clinical findings become available.
5. Symptoms
The COVID-19 virus affects different people in different ways. COVID-19 is a respiratory disease and most infected people will develop mild to moderate symptoms and recover without requiring special treatment. People who have underlying medical conditions and those over 60 years old have a higher risk of developing severe disease and death. Common symptoms include fever, tiredness, dry cough etc.
Other symptoms include shortness of breath, aches and pains, sore throat and very few people will report diarrhea, nausea or a runny nose.
People with mild symptoms who are otherwise healthy should self-isolate and contact their medical provider or a COVID-19 information line for advice on testing and referral.
6. Prevention
To prevent infection and to slow transmission of COVID-19, do the following:
∙ Wash your hands regularly with soap and water or clean them with alcohol-based hand rub.
∙ Maintain at least 1 meter distance between you and people coughing or sneezing.
∙ Avoid touching your face.
∙ Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
∙ Stay home if you feel unwell.
∙ Refrain from smoking and other activities that weaken the lungs and Practice physical distance by avoiding unnecessary travel and staying away from large groups of people.
7. Fake News/Rumor
As the crisis began to unfold across the globe, bad, dangerous, or just plain stupid information came with it. One of the earliest false rumors was that drinking alcohol provided a level of protection against infection. While this may have generated a few clicks and some advertising revenue, for sensationalist outlets pushing the line, it is also clearly dangerous advice, given that alcohol is known to weaken the immune system and, if anything, lower your resistance. It was even reported that deaths were caused by people consuming industrial alcohol to try and disinfect themselves. It‘s reassuring that some of the biggest internet and social media companies are making an effort to live up to their responsibilities, as gatekeepers of what information can be sent over their networks.
8. Global situation
The corona virus COVID-19 pandemic is the defining global health crisis of our time. Since its emergence late last year, the virus has spread to every continent except Antarctica. Cases are rising daily in Africa and South America, and Europe has taken over as the epicenter of the disease and more cases are now being reported every day than in China at the height of its epidemic. Countries are racing to slow the spread of the disease by testing and treating patients, carrying out contact tracing, limiting travel, quarantining citizens, and canceling large gatherings such as sporting events, concerts, and schools.
The pandemic is moving like a wave one that may yet crash on those least able to cope. But COVID-19 is much more than a health crisis. By stressing every one of the countries it touches, it has the potential to create devastating social, economic and political crises that will leave deep scars. We are in uncharted territory. Many of our communities are unrecognizable from even a week ago. Dozens of the world‘s greatest cities are deserted as people stay indoors, either by choice or by government order. Across the world, shops, theatres, restaurants and bars are closing. Every day, people are losing jobs and income, with no way of knowing when normality will return. Small island nations, heavily dependent on tourism, have empty hotels and deserted beaches. The International Labor Organization estimates that 25 million jobs could be lost. Every country needs to act immediately to prepare, respond, and recover. The UN system will support countries through each stage, with a focus on the most vulnerable.
Since first being recorded late last year in China, the Covid-19 Corona virus has spread around the world and been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. By early spring, Europe had become the worst-affected region, with Italy and Spain particularly hard hit. However, differences in testing mean that the number of cases may be understated for some countries.
11. Confirmed cases of Covid-19 for selected countries
Since first being recorded late last year in China, the Covid-19 corona virus has spread around the world and been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. By early spring, Europe had become the worst-affected region, with Italy and Spain particularly hard hit. However, differences in testing mean that the number of cases may be understated for some countries. Till today (29thApril 2020) there are a total 3,190,584 people confirmed affected, 225,857 deaths and 986,725 recovered.
Research Data
Location | Confirmed | Recovered | Deaths |
United States | 1,040,233 | 143,302 | 59,819 |
Spain | 236,899 | 132,929 | 24,275 |
Italy | 203,591 | 132,929 | 27,682 |
Germany | 160,479 | 120,400 | 6,374 |
France | 165,911 | 46,886 | 23,660 |
China | 82,858 | 77,578 | 4,633 |
Iran | 93,657 | 73,791 | 5,957 |
United Kingdom | 161,145 | - | 21,678 |
Turkey | 117,589 | 44,022 | 3,081 |
Belgium | 47,859 | 11,283 | 7,501 |
Switzerland | 29,407 | 22,600 | 1,703 |
Netherlands | 38,802 | - | 4,711 |
Canada | 50,373 | 19,190 | 2,904 |
Brazil | 73,235 | 32,544 | 5,083 |
Portugal | 24,505 | 1,470 | 973 |
Austria | 15,402 | 12,779 | 580 |
SouthKorea | 10,761 | 8,922 | 246 |
Russia | 99,399 | 10,286 | 972 |
Israel | 15,782 | 7,929 | 212 |
Sweden | 20,302 | 1,005 | 2,462 |
Ireland | 15,782 | 9,233 | 1,159 |
India | 31,787 | 7,796 | 1,008 |
Norway | 7,680 | 32 | 207 |
Australia | 6,746 | 5,667 | 89 |
Chile | 14,885 | 8,057 | 216 |
Denmark | 9,008 | 6,366 | 443 |
Poland | 12,640 | 3,025 | 624 |
Czechia | 7,563 | 3,096 | 227 |
Peru | 31,190 | 9,179 | 854 |
Romania | 11,978 | 3,569 | 685 |
Ecuador | 24,258 | 1,557 | 871 |
Japan | 13,736 | 1,899 | 394 |
Pakistan | 15,289 | 3,425 | 335 |
Malaysia | 5,945 | 4,087 | 100 |
Philippines | 8,212 | 1,023 | 558 |
Luxembourg | 3,769 | 3,134 | 89 |
Indonesia | 9,771 | 1,391 | 784 |
Saudi Arabia | 21,402 | 2,953 | 157 |
Mexico | 16,752 | 11,423 | 1,569 |
Dubai | 11,380 | 12,181 | 89 |
Serbia | 8,724 | 2 | 173 |
Finland | 4,906 | 2,800 | 206 |
Panama | 6,200 | 484 | 176 |
Thailand | 2,947 | 2,665 | 54 |
Qatar | 12,564 | 1,243 | 10 |
Dominican Republic | 6,652 | 1,228 | 293 |
Colombia | 5,949 | 1,268 | 269 |
Greece | 2,576 | 577 | 139 |
South Africa | 4,996 | 2,073 | 93 |
Singapore | 15,641 | 1,188 | 14 |
Argentina | 4,127 | 1,192 | 207 |
Ukraine | 9,866 | 1,103 | 250 |
Egypt | 5,268 | 1,335 | 380 |
Algeria | 3,848 | 3,848 | 444 |
Iceland | 1,797 | 1,656 | 10 |
Belarus | 13,181 | 2,072 | 84 |
Croatia | 2,062 | 1,288 | 67 |
Morocco | 4,321 | 928 | 168 |
Moldova | 3,771 | 1,114 | 107 |
Iraq | 1,928 | 1,319 | 90 |
Estonia | 1,666 | 236 | 50 |
Hungary | 2,727 | 536 | 300 |
Slovenia | 1,418 | 230 | 89 |
New Zealand | 1,474 | 1,229 | 19 |
Lithuania | 1,375 | 563 | 45 |
Hong Kong | 1,038 | 830 | 4 |
Azerbaijan | 1,766 | 1,267 | 23 |
Armenia | 1,932 | 900 | 30 |
Kuwait | 3,740 | 1,389 | 24 |
Bahrain | 2,811 | 1,310 | 8 |
Bosnia & Herzegovina | 1,677 | 710 | 65 |
Kazakhstan | 3,138 | 819 | 25 |
Cameroon | 1,806 | 915 | 59 |
Slovakia | 1,391 | 484 | 22 |
North Macedonia | 1,442 | 627 | 73 |
Tunisia | 975 | 279 | 40 |
Uzbekistan | 1,969 | 1,066 | 8 |
Bulgaria | 1,447 | 243 | 64 |
Latvia | 849 | 348 | 15 |
Andorra | 743 | 398 | 41 |
Lebanon | 721 | 150 | 24 |
Cyprus | 843 | 148 | 15 |
Costa Rica | 705 | 306 | 6 |
Cuba | 1,467 | 617 | 58 |
Afghanistan | 1,939 | 252 | 60 |
Oman | 2,274 | 364 | 10 |
Uruguay | 625 | 394 | 15 |
Côte d'Ivoire | 443 | 146 | 24 |
BurkinaFaso | 638 | 476 | 42 |
Niger | 709 | 255 | 44 |
Albania | 766 | 455 | 30 |
Honduras | 738 | 73 | 66 |
Taiwan | 429 | 311 | 6 |
Ghana | 1,671 | 188 | 16 |
Réunion | 418 | 300 | - |
Jordan | 451 | 356 | - |
Malta | 463 | 339 | 4 |
SanMarino | 563 | 69 | 41 |
Mauritius | 334 | 306 | 10 |
Nigeria | 1,532 | 255 | 44 |
Kyrgyzstan | 2,729 | 437 | 8 |
Bolivia | 1,053 | 110 | 55 |
Palestine | 344 | 71 | 2 |
Vietnam | 270 | 222 | - |
Montenegro | 322 | 203 | 7 |
Senegal | 882 | - | 9 |
Georgia | 517 | 178 | 6 |
IsleofMan | 313 | 252 | 21 |
SriLanka | 627 | 136 | 7 |
Mayotte | 460 | 235 | 4 |
FaeroeIslands | 187 | 181 | 0 |
Kenya | 384 | 129 | 14 |
Guinea | 1,240 | 269 | 7 |
Democratic Republic of the Congo | 207 | 19 | 8 |
Venezuela | 329 | 142 | 10 |
Martinique | 175 | 83 | 14 |
Guadeloupe | 149 | 82 | 12 |
Djibouti | 1,077 | 599 | 2 |
Brunei | 138 | 124 | 1 |
Guatemala | 557 | 62 | 16 |
Paraguay | 239 | 102 | 9 |
Gibraltar | 141 | 131 | 0 |
Cambodia | 122 | 119 | 0 |
Rwanda | 212 | 95 | 0 |
Trinidad And Tobago | 116 | 68 | 8 |
ElSalvador | 377 | 106 | 9 |
Madagascar | 128 | 90 | 0 |
Monaco | 95 | 50 | 4 |
FrenchGuiana | 125 | 93 | 1 |
Aruba | 100 | 73 | 2 |
Liechtenstein | 82 | 55 | 1 |
Mali | 482 | 129 | 25 |
Togo | 109 | 64 | 7 |
Barbados | 80 | 39 | 6 |
Jamaica | 381 | 29 | 7 |
Ethiopia | 130 | 58 | 3 |
Uganda | 79 | 52 | 0 |
FrenchPolynesia | 58 | 49 | 0 |
Bermuda | 110 | 44 | 6 |
CaymanIslands | 73 | 10 | 1 |
Macao | 45 | 34 | 0 |
Republic of the Congo | 207 | 19 | 8 |
Gabon | 238 | 53 | 1 |
SintMaarten | 75 | 33 | 13 |
TheBahamas | 80 | 23 | 11 |
Zambia | 97 | 54 | 3 |
Guyana | 74 | 15 | 8 |
Guinea-Bissau | 73 | 18 | 1 |
Eritrea | 39 | 19 | 0 |
SaintMartin | 38 | 24 | 3 |
Liberia | 141 | 45 | 16 |
Haiti | 76 | 8 | 6 |
Benin | 64 | 33 | 1 |
Tanzania | 480 | 167 | 16 |
Myanmar (Burma) | 150 | 27 | 6 |
Angola | 27 | 6 | 2 |
Antigua And Barbuda | 24 | 11 | 3 |
Maldives | 269 | 17 | 0 |
Syria | 43 | 21 | 3 |
EquatorialGuinea | 31 | 59 | 1 |
NewCaledonia | 18 | 17 | 0 |
Mozambique | 76 | 12 | 0 |
Laos | 19 | 7 | 0 |
Mongolia | 38 | 10 | 0 |
Myanmar(Burma) | 150 | 27 | 6 |
Dominica | 16 | 13 | 0
|
Fiji | 18 | 12 | 0 |
Curaçao | 16 | 11 | 1 |
SaintLucia | 17 | 15 | 0 |
Sudan | 375 | 32 | 28 |
Botswana | 23 | 5 | 1 |
Eswatini | 71 | 10 | 1 |
Grenada | 19 | 10 | 0 |
Somalia | 582 | 20 | 28 |
Chad | 52 | 19 | 2 |
Greenland | 11 | 11 | 0 |
Saint Kitts And Nevis | 15 | 4 | 0 |
Zimbabwe | 32 | 5 | 4 |
Suriname | 10 | 7 | 1 |
Nepal | 57 | 16 | 0 |
ÅlandIslands | 9 | 0 | 0 |
Belize | 18 | 9 | 2 |
Malawi | 36 | 5 | 3 |
Montserrat | 11 | 2 | 1 |
Turks & Caicos | 12 | 5 | 1 |
Islands | 10 | 2 | 0 |
Vatican City | 11 | 42 | 1 |
CaboVerde | 8 | 6 | 1 |
Mauritania | 13 | 7 | 0 |
Nicaragua | 104 | 12 | 3 |
SierraLeone | 104 | 12 | 4 |
Bhutan | 7 | 5 | 0 |
FalklandIslands | 13 | 11 | 0 |
SãoToméandPríncipe | 8 | 4 | 0 |
TheGambia | 10 | 8 | 1 |
Anguilla | 3 | 3 | 0 |
British Virgin Islands | 6 | 3 | 1 |
Burundi | 11 | 4 | 1 |
SouthSudan | 34 | 0 | 0 |
Papua New Guinea | 8 | 0 | 0 |
Saint Pierre Et Miquelon | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Timor-Leste | 24 | 6 | 0 |
Yemen | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Source: Worldometer
12. Present situation of COVID-19 in Bangladesh
Bangladesh remains at high risk of the coronavirus spread as officials said that Bangladesh‘s connectivity with the countries where regular incidences of the novel virus occurred left it to the chance of virus infection anytime.
We are at high risk of the coronavirus spread which has compelled us to urgently act to take preventive measures against the spread of the highly contagious novel virus,‘ said the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research director Meerjady Sabrina Flora on Wednesday.
The USA and China also voiced concerns over Bangladesh as it was at high risk of corona virus spread, which so far affected 73 countries including neighboring India, killing around 3,000 people globally and infecting over 90,000 people.
Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh, Li Jiming, on Wednesday said Bangladesh was at high risk of corona virus infection as it was spreading in the neighboring countries. The National Telecom Monitoring Center (NTMC) revealed; Of the 4 million mobile phone clients who left Dhaka after the declaration of the occasion, there are '1 lakh 3 thousand outsiders returning'. According to a Health Department official statement, the quantity of outside screened travelers so far has arrived at 5, of which 26 went ahead April 1. The infection has been affirmed in 25 areas of Bangladesh till April 7. Three lockdowns have been totally bolted up (Narayanganj, Pirojpur, Satkhira, Cox's Bazar, Narsingdi and Tangail). Likewise, ShibcharUpazila of Madaripur has been totally secured with six places in Dhaka. The infection has been confirmed in six territories in Bangladesh's capital till April 7. Around 8 percent of the all-out affirmed patients in the nation are from Dhaka. Numerous specialists are thinking about the lower investigation when contrasted with neighboring nations, which is the reason behind the low number of horrible and fatalities in the nation. As per reports, some neighborhood emergency clinics, remembering for the capital Dhaka, gave a warning for specialists to secure their own PPE because of an emergency of inadequate stockpile. Furthermore, the sickness control authority is purportedly organizing COVID-19 testing for those coming back from abroad. As indicated by the Directorate of Health, there are 29 ICU beds with ventilators, an absolute necessity for genuine crown patients, detailed in the newspaper, Business Standard. Chowdhury is known for his work in detailing the Bangladesh National Drug Policy. He and Gonoshasthaya Kendra built up a $3 testing kit touted as having the option to recognize the coronavirus in under 15 minutes. On March 22, the government of Bangladesh introduced a seven-day blockade that took effect from March 27 - April 1. It was subsequently extended until 7 April. On March 7, the health minister said that four more 'ventilator machines' were being imported. The common symptoms of this disorder are fever, colds and shortness of breath. In some cases, muscle pain, frequent spitting and neck pain can be seen. In most cases the symptoms are mild, but in some severe cases, inflammation of the lungs (pneumonia) and various organs are also seen. The mortality rate for this disorder is 8.8%, with the mortality rate of patients below the age of 25 being 8%, and about 5% in patients above 6 years.
13. Statistics and charts
Statistical data of infectious people till 10th April 2020
From March 3, the first corona infection was tested in Bangladesh and then the result was tested zero. The first 3 cases of corona disease were diagnosed on March 11, and the number of cases has been steadily rising since then. The first 1 person died on March 18 because of corona and the death rate is increasing day by day. As of April 9, Bangladesh currently has 330 infected people,21 dead and 33 recovered. Also 1097 new cases have been tasted, 112 new cases have been reported and 1 death has been reported till now.
14. Response of the study we have done
✔ Do you check the authenticity of online news every time you come across in Social
Media?
Here we tried to find out how many people check the authenticity of online news while using social media. We did a survey on 10 random people and the result is 50%.
✔ How are you authenticating news about COVID-19?
In this question we gave people 4 options to choose. And from this, 45% choose option a which is mentioned by blue color and rest of the people choose option c which is mentioned by the green color.
✔ Do you know about any medicine which helps the patient to treat or protect people from being affected by Coronavirus?
In this third question, we find out the variety of the answers.. 50% of them chose the answer that there is no treatment, 15% chose we should follow home remedies,20% chose drinking hot water and 15% chose the other option.
✔ Do you try to correct fake news/rumors shared by friends/family on social media?
In this fourth question, we got 55% on answer a, 7% on answer b and 38% on answer d. which is mentioned by the color blue, red and violet chronologically.
Why is this a problem?
COVID-19 is a pandemic in the whole world and Bangladesh is also included in it. This is one of the biggest problems and challenges for Bangladesh till now. These are some of the most significant problems:
1. Health Issue
2. Maintaining social distance
3. Economical problem
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), coronavirus is a family virus that causes illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. And most importantly it‘s also the cause of death. Countries all over the world are struggling to manage this global crisis, Bangladesh is no different. But since it is already struggling to provide a basic health care infrastructure in one of the most densely populated countries in the world, this global pandemic is becoming a major challenge for Bangladesh. The coronavirus pandemic was confirmed to have spread to Bangladesh on 7th march,2020. The Government of Bangladesh has confirmed testing 3610 samples among which there are a total of 218 confirmed cases,33 recoveries and 20 death watches in the country. But the problem is there are not enough tests conducted in Bangladesh, which has a population of over 160 million. Newspaper reports and social media continued to report about additional deaths of patients with COVID-19 symptoms. Some of the deceased were treated at COVID-19 isolation centers at hospitals in the districts and others were denied treatment, though no tests were conducted to confirm contagion. For a long time, testing was centralized only at the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) in the capital Dhaka, although patients with symptoms were reported all around the country. Older Rohingya refugees in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh are being left behind in the humanitarian response to COVID-19, which could have devastating consequences given the high risks older people everywhere face from this daily pandemic.
The term of social distancing has come to be very popular and fascinating recently due to the sudden outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic which killed more than 60,000 people throughout the world without any consideration. In the meantime, the total number of globally affected people had already crossed eleven lacs compelling all of us to find out the immediate causes of such disease and finding mechanisms to get rid of it.
What is Social Distancing?
Social distancing, also called ―physical distancing,‖ means keeping space between yourself and other people outside of your home. To practice social or physical distance:
Stay at least 6 feet (2 meters) from other people.
Do not gather in groups.
Stay out of crowded places and avoid mass gatherings.
In addition to everyday steps to prevent COVID-19 keeping space between you and others is one of the best tools we have to avoid being exposed to this virus and slowing its spread locally and across the country and world. When COVID-19 is spreading in your area, everyone should limit close contact with individuals outside your household in indoor and outdoor spaces. Since people can spread the virus before they know they are sick, it is important to stay away from others when possible, even if you have no symptoms. Social distancing is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick.
Why practice social distancing?
COVID-19 spreads mainly among people who are in close contact (within about 6 feet) for a prolonged period. Spread happens when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks, and droplets from their mouth or nose are launched into the air and land in the mouths or noses of people nearby. The droplets can also be inhaled into the lungs. Recent studies indicate that people who are infected but do not have symptoms likely also play a role in the spread of COVID-19. It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or eyes. However, this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads. COVID 19 can live for hours or days on a surface, depending on factors such as sunlight and humidity. Social distancing helps limit contact with infected people and contaminated surfaces. Although the risk of severe illness may be different for everyone, anyone can get and spread COVID-19. Everyone has a role to play in slowing the spread and protecting themselves, their family, and their community.
Steps Taken by The Government of Bangladesh to Prevent COVID-19 -
The COVID-19 has outbreak in a huge number in the outer and most developed countries of the world. USA, France, Italy, Spain are facing the worst phase of the attack of nCOVID-19. Thousands of people are dying every day from this very infectious virus. Even Bangladesh is going through a very crucial time fighting this pandemic. As of 6 April 2020, according to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), there are 123 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Bangladesh, including 33 patients who have recovered and 12 related deaths; Case Fatality Rate (CFR) is 09.76%. The government of Bangladesh has taken steps to prevent the virus from spreading but still facing much difficulties in emphasizing those precautions.
Measures of The Government
1. The government has called a lockdown (By closing every institution, offices, schools, colleges, universities etc. from 22 march 2020 with a view to not getting infected by the virus) all over the country for 14 days so that the infectious virus cannot get spread.
2. The government has asked the people stay inside the home and maintain home quarantine
3. The government has asked to avoid all kinds of gatherings to prevent community transmission.
4. The Military and the Police force has been enforced to keep the people inside their houses as people are not interested in passing the precautions for the virus. 5. If any COVID-19 patient is found in any area the government has ordered a lockdown of that area and also the localities near it.
6. The Prime minister of the Republic of Bangladesh has given order to keep all the public and private clinics and doctors‘ chambers open so that none faces any lack of treatments.
7. The police force and the policy administration are working to arrest and give punishments to those who are spreading rumors.
8. The Islamic Foundation of Bangladesh has ordered people to do their prayers at their own residence as a precaution.
9. Moving across the country is strictly prohibited if it isn't an emergency. 10. Donations has been allotted for the people of the country as help and trying to provide the poor people with supplies of food.
Challenges of Maintaining Social Distance in Bangladesh
We need to concede that physical and social separation is extremely troublesome in Bangladesh since we have so many individuals living in little zones where we exhaust our conveying limit as far as our home and settlement. Dhaka is a capital city with tremendous individuals of the sum of what classes have been remaining together with various ghettos and squatters around the city. Individuals living in these ease regions are stuffed yet they are frequently entirely crucial also; they function as workers, housemaids, development laborers, rickshaw pullers and unimportant merchants without whom, the city life regularly may deaden. Be that as it may, what they require is a sort of legitimate preparation about looking after social/physical separation, containing a disposition of neatness, feeling of littering, spitting, hacking and furthermore having appropriate feeling of all general medical problems. There had been prayers in Dhaka city to prevent COVID-19 where 10,000 people were present there. It‘s an act of very much irresponsibility in this kind of situation. Huge amount of people could get affected from this. The day laborers are facing many problems at this time as they do not have any earning resources now, they can‘t be restricted from going outside in search of work and food as they do not have much reservation during this survival. Moreover, people are not interested in listening to the orders of the government, and they are fooling around aimlessly and becoming the possible victim of COVID-19. The government should take proper steps to overcome this situation immediately.
Economic Effects of COVID-19 on Bangladesh
Amid the quick spread of the corona virus (COVID-19) over the globe, Bangladesh is by all accounts one of the least influenced nations with just five distinguished cases as of March 15, 2020. While specialists and researchers are spending restless evenings to battle this pandemic, the world is as of now thinking about its financial aftermath. Since the circumstance is advancing each day, monetary assessments can just give a size of the effect. The genuine consequence will rely upon the degree of the spread and length of the span of the episode and how rapidly policymakers can make a move to alleviate the wellbeing and financial harm.
According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Bangladesh will lose about 1.1 percent of its GDP in the most dire outcome imaginable—when the episode will last in any event for a half year. It infers that corona virus can remove USD 3.02 billion from Bangladesh's economy. Moreover, it is likewise being captured that there could be 894,930 employment misfortunes because of a worldwide monetary downturn. Bangladesh's reliance on China is critical. China has been the biggest exchange accomplice of Bangladesh with a portion of 18.94 percent of all-out exchange 2018. China is Bangladesh's greatest import accomplice. Bangladesh's principle sends out ware, readymade articles of clothing (RMG), depends intensely on China for its crude
materials. Crude materials for pharmaceuticals are likewise imported from China. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has forecasted that if Bangladesh's imports of intermediate inputs from China declines by 2 percent due to the coronavirus, it will cost Bangladesh USD 16 million. The leather sector will lose USD 15 million. The textile and apparel sector will experience a loss of USD 1 million.
Recommendations to Overcome This Economical Fall-out
As the economic damage of the corona virus outbreak cannot be avoided, policymakers should take a few immediate measures to minimize the losses.
- ∙ The government should take every single careful step to control the spread of the outbreak. Financial assignments are required for fortifying the wellbeing framework with satisfactory testing offices, staff, medication, beds and other clinical necessities. The government ought to offer clinical help to the poor influenced individuals and returnee vagrant laborers.
- ∙ For basic import things, especially crude materials that used to be imported from China, the
- the government should promptly search for elective sources. The costs might be higher. Nonetheless, given the fundamental idea of these things, for example, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, the government can offer unique help desperately. Import of insignificant things might be required to be postponed.
- ∙ The government should start an occupation bolster conspiracy for laborers influenced by coronavirus. Laborers ought to be held and utilized through reskilling and retraining. They ought to likewise be furnished with working cash-flow to begin independent ventures. An exceptional financial plan for little endeavors might be started.
- ∙ Banks ought to have adequate liquidity to help organizations with loans on simple terms. Given that the financial area in Bangladesh isn't solid as of now, the national bank can help different banks through refinancing schemes so they can give loans to small businesses
- ∙ The government should help the virus affected households and corona-induced unemployed people by providing temporary support in the form of cash transfer.
- ∙ This is additionally when there will be less utilization demand which thus will hinder the economy. Subsequently, the continuation of the speculation consumptions in the economy is fundamental for work creation. Be that as it may, effectiveness in such consumptions will be fundamentally significant. Plus, open consumption needs to protect the low salary gathering and the poor through expanded social security nets.
- ∙ Supportive monetary policies are normally recommended during such emergency minutes. That is, loan costs are brought for businesses down to compensate for their misfortunes. Bangladesh Bank has just educated commercial banks to decrease loaning rates. Further intrigue cuts ought to be focused on small and medium businesses.
- ∙ Any measure intended for the virus affected workers and businesses ought to be carefully directed and checked with full transparency, so the willful loan defaulters and fake victims don't exploit the facilities given by the government.
15. Audience Analysis
Throughout this part, we will be thoroughly reviewing audiences, to whom we will reach out to educate and be aware about the importance of avoiding fake news and the consuming and sharing of verified information through authentic sources. The audience analysis will give us a detailed outlook of what kind of people we need to interact with for this campaign, and why these people need to be considered to reach our goals.
Because of the ongoing pandemic crisis (COVID-19), our main approach in this campaign will be to create awareness through social media in combating fake news among students regarding COVID-19.
For this campaign we will rule out the audience into three parts;
- ∙ primary audience,
- ∙ secondary audience and,
- ∙ tertiary audience.
16. Primary Audience
These are the group of people who will be our main consideration for the campaign. Every step of the campaign will vary based on how we interact with them, and the outcome of the campaign will completely depend on what they are able to grasp from this initiative. For our primary audience we went with the undergraduate students of University of liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) since, ULAB is located at one of the prime locations in Dhaka with currently three campuses and has approximately 4,500 students. (Recorded in 2016.). Although we will reach out to all departments of the university, we will get the opportunity to work with many future journalists and public relations experts who can take these learnings and initiate them through their communication skills. This will also help us to prioritize the fake news crisis due to factors such as social media illiteracy since our primary audiences will be able to give us feedback for suggestions and approach their audiences as they see fit.
This social awareness campaign will consider all students of ULAB as primary audiences.
1 | Current male and female students of ULAB | Most University students are internet users and they are the most informed and concerned about the world in their day to day lives. They are also active users of online platforms such as social media to communicate and to share information and so they will be able to provide feedback and help to reach the maximum number of audiences that will help make this campaign a success. Therefore, we have chosen all current students of ULAB as our primary target audience. |
17. Secondary Audience
Our secondary audience are the ones who can have influences on our primary audience. These are the people who can persuade our ULAB students to be more aware about the spreading of fake news regarding the pandemic and support them to make more people aware about it.
1 | Family members | In the current situation, family members are playing the most important roles as most of the students live or frequently communicate with their families. Parents are usually always checking news updates and know the latest development in authentic information. Family members are also in many cases connected through social media platforms and so they can be advocates of promoting verified news and information and share it within the family and their peers. They will be very supportive of the campaign. |
2 | Faculty members at ULAB | Students are always looking up to their teachers as they help them to not only go through their education but also help them to develop many life skills. They are always doing research in order to teach their students and develop their community. Many of them are also connected to a lot of students through different online platforms and email. Instructions from them to fight fake news will motivate a lot of students and encourage them to spread the practice of verified information. |
3 | Friends of the students | Communication among friends is the most practiced activity in the current status quo. Friends are always actively communicating with each other to share various types of information; may that be memes to laugh or something informative that creates awareness. Students reaching out to their friends to fight against fake news will be one of the most effective factors to reach the mass public for this campaign. |
4 | Relatives | Relatives can be a crucial medium of communication in their communities. If relatives are made aware about the harm and disadvantages of fake news surrounding COVID-19, they can effectively spread this awareness to other people in their communities, it can help to reduce the spread of the pandemic in many different areas. |
5 | Neighbors | Neighbors will be able to accelerate the process of creating awareness. More members in a community being aware of the importance of authentic information regarding COVID 19 will keep that community safe and make it an exemplary one to other communities or neighborhoods. |
18. Tertiary Audience
Our tertiary audience consists of people who can influence both the primary target audience and secondary target audience.
In the campaign, the tertiary audience are:
1 | Vice Chancellor of ULAB | ULAB VC can create awareness about not consuming and sharing fake news about the pandemic through email communication or through public service announcements in social media. |
2 | 2. DMP Commissioner | DMP Commissioner can help to increase the reliability of this campaign by suggesting verified news sources and allowing the people to ask them questions in case they have any confusion about any information they have access to. |
3 | Celebrities | They can create awareness of verifying news or information before sharing through social networking sites (such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube etc) as well as mass media.
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4 | Politicians | They can create awareness by Mass media and undertake relevant policies and laws. |
5 | Non-Government Organizations (NGO)s | They can help primary and secondary target audiences to be alert by giving them advice on what kind of sources they should look up for proper information to minimize the outbreak. |
6 | ICT Ministry | The ICT Ministry can take steps to inform people about the penalties concerning the sharing of fake information so that people refrain from such activities. |
19. Goals
Our goal is to inform ULAB students not to share fake news or rumors and verify the authenticity of the news before sharing.
20. Smart Objective
SPECIFIC
We will carry out our campaign online, particularly using social media platforms. We will come up with strategies to make the students aware of the dangers of fake news and how they can take necessary steps against spreading fake news or rumors regarding COVID - 19.
MEASURABLE
From the 14 individual ULABians who participated, we found that 50% authenticate news sometimes, meaning not all the time. When it comes to correcting their friends/family on sharing fake news, 35.7% of the participants do it sometimes while 7.2% don‘t do it at all. We will focus on these particular quantitative results to bring down to an even 0% to completely combat the spread of fake news.
ACHIEVABLE
Since we will use social media platforms and any other supportive medium to align with them, we believe our campaign will be feasible to carry out in reaching all the ULABians. Therefore, we will succeed in combating the spread of fake news among ULABians.
REALISTIC
We need ULAB authority permission for the campaign. We can collaborate with the ULAB Student Affairs Office (SAO). It can help us to achieve our goal because students will take this campaign seriously if we can build their trust in us and make them believe in the effectiveness of the campaign.
21. Messages
Our target is to spread these two massages to ULAB students. As this is an online based campaign so here we are creating a Facebook/Instagram/Twitter account to spread this message to all ULAB students. The reason behind choosing these messages is that we targeted to stop rumors about coronavirus and to make students know the authentic news.
22. Core massage
সচেতন হলে দেশ, করোনার দিন শেষ
Here our core message will inspire students not to spread fake news. Our Facebook/Instagram/Twitter account will give them authentic sources and news.
23. Channel Strategy for Campaign
Now we come down to the main action part of the campaign - coming up with a strategy to communicate with our target audience. A communication channel is a medium through which messages are given out to an audience using various media such as print media, online platforms or even broadcast media.
The communication channel we chose to deliver our messages to fulfill the purpose of this campaign is Facebook. We created a Facebook community page and invited our fellow ULABians to join. We also personally messaged them on Facebook to encourage other
ULABians from their friends list to like the page and stay connected with us.
We have provided pictures and screenshots of the page, its layout and contents for better understanding. The language used in each post as caption or status is written in Bengali to keep the flow of language as lucid as possible. This way, it can reach more people and we believe, will deliver our messages easily.
Although our primary audience is ULABian students, both male and female, the posts being in the mother tongue will help reach more people through them. This way the messages can be easily shared and understood by the secondary audience. Also, it makes it easier for our tertiary audience to find relevance in the matter.
1. We decided to name the page "ULABians, Are You Aware?" It has the keyword ULABians in it, that too as the first word of the page name. An added benefit is it shows up as suggested as soon as one types out "ULAB" in the Facebook search engine.
2. This is the main page view from a mobile device.
3. Here is our welcoming post that has been pinned. Pinning it has made it the topmost post everyone can read as they land on our page. This has been kept informative in simple English.
4. Here is the logo and the cover photo. It is to be noted that we designed the logo on our own and used it on our cover photo as well. This is the logo and is used as the profile picture of the campaign.
We tried to depict that we are trying to combat fake news in a collective effort. This portrays our teamwork for this campaign. Now onto the rest of the contents we posted on our page. The captions are kept precise and informative, in lucid language for most people to understand. Our creative posts are all original contents and most of the information we used are in big bold letters so that it‘s eye-catching and can be read by our target audience within 3-4 seconds before they move on to scroll through their Facebook newsfeed.
5. We have kept a thoroughly informative post, without any creative content to let our page visitors know our aim. We mentioned the pandemic, its effects and how fake news is on the rise and harming individuals. It is spoken in an inclusive language, engaging the target audience to take part in the social responsibility of not spreading fake news or encouraging rumors to be spread.
6. With the following content we give away our main message:
#ULAB #ULABians
#COVID19
#FlattenTheCurve
7. Here is our hashtag. Currently this is a trendy hashtag. It represents a chart which illustrates the wave of new coronavirus cases expected to hit. Because of COVID - 19, if we think about a graph, we can see the death rates are increasing. The high curve from the chart means the virus is spreading quickly. So basically, our goal should be to keep it flat. That's why we used this hashtag.
8. The following 3 creative posts are all relevant to the core message, carry details of the sub message and give simple advice for awareness.
24. Timeline
Communication Channel | June 20 | July 20 | August 20 | September 20 | October 20 | November 20 | December 20 |
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25. Budget
The tentative budget for the campaign is given below:
Channel | Unit Price (BDT)
| Quantity | Total |
Facebook |
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| 10,000 |
PSA |
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Instagram |
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| 8,500 |
Twitter |
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SMS | 0.64 | 24,000 | 15,360 |
Email |
| 24,000 |
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Total | 33,860 | ||
In words: Thirty-three thousand eight hundred and sixty taka only.
26. Monitoring and Evaluation
Assessment of the effectiveness of the campaign will be done through keeping a record of what we have achieved. In order to do so we will be monitoring the activities. Monitoring of the campaign will be conducted each week. `after the end of the campaign a comprehensive evaluation will be conducted. We will be conducting surveys to get knowledge of the awareness among people during the campaign and after it finishes. We will analyze the surveys and compare them to each other to determine whether any progress has been made.
28. References
Bangladesh at high risk of coronavirus
https://www.newagebd.net/article/101292/bangladesh-at-high-risk-of-coronavirus
Bangladesh not equipped to fight corona pandemic
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/bangladesh-not-equipped-to-fight-corona pandemic/1783741#
Bangladesh Should Address Vulnerability to Coronavirus ...
Even as Bangladesh recorded its first death from COVID-19, tens of thousands of people gathered in Raipur in the south of the country to pray ―healing verses‖ from the Quran to protect the ...
https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/03/20/bangladesh-should-address-vulnerability-coronavirus
Coronavirus preparedness still a concern in Bangladesh
https://www.newagebd.net/article/99712/coronavirus-preparedness-still-a-concern-in-bangladesh
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) update
https://www.who.int/bangladesh/emergencies/coronavirus-disease-(covid-19)-update
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/social-distancing.html
Tackling the economic fallout of COVID-19
https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/macro-mirror/news/tackling-the-economic-fallout-covid 19-1881253
covid-19 impact and responses bangladesh. (2020, April 7). Retrieved from fair wear: https://www.fairwear.org/covid-19-dossier/covid-19-guidance-for-production countries/covid-19-impact-and-responses-bangladesh/
Mahmud, I. (n.d.). 15 arrested for Facebook posts on coronavirus. New Age Bangladesh. Retrieved from https://www.newagebd.net/article/103963/15-arrested-for-facebook-posts-on coronavirus?fbclid=IwAR0hSTA3oGzKqj7lIp1AIhh0EZJVo6dFOpCQQEPgJSnbKzVBy0Q0K AsrVhM