DHAKA, May 9, 2020 (BSS) – Bangladesh today reported eight more deaths
from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) overnight, taking the total number of
fatalities from the pandemic to 214.
However, the recovery count rose to 2,414 in the same period after a record
313 patients were discharged in a single day from hospitals, a top health
official said.
“As many as 636 people tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours,
increasing the tally of infections to 13,770,” DGHS Additional Director
General (administration) Prof Nasima Sultana told a virtual media briefing at
the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in the city.
Nasima said a total of 5,465 samples were tested at 35 authorised
laboratories across the country during the period.
Bangladesh confirmed the first coronavirus death on March 18, ten days
after the detection of the first COVID-19 cases.
Among the total infected patients, recovery rate is 91.08 percent and
mortality rate is 8.2 percent, the heath official said.
Nasima said nearly 75 percent COVID-19 patients are taking treatment from
their homes, and many of them are being cured every day after receiving
treatment through hotlines.
She said among the eight deaths, two are in their 70s, two in their 60s,
one in his 50s, two in their 40s and one in his 30s.
As of May 8, of the total fatalities, 112 deaths were recorded in Dhaka
city while 171 took place in Dhaka division and rests are in other seven
divisions, the health official added.
Nasima said COVID-19 cases were found in 64 districts, meaning that all
regions of the country are now risky for the fatal disease.
The health official dubbed Dhaka and Narayanganj COVID-19 as “hotspots” as
the maximum number of cases were detected in the two cities.
As of May 8, Dhaka city has been considered as the worst-affected with
58.28 percent of COVID cases, while Dhaka division has remained at the top
position with 82.07 percent infected cases out of total coronavirus patients,
according to Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).
Of the total infections, 8,877 cases were reported in Dhaka division, 576
cases in Chattogram division, 400 cases in Mymensingh division, 211 cases in
Khulna division, 130 cases in Barishal division, 263 cases in Rangpur
division, 163 cases in Sylhet division and 153 cases in Rajshahi division, it
added.
Among the 64 COVID-19-infected districts, Narayanganj is the most hardest-
hit one with 1136 cases, according to the IEDCR data.
It is followed by Gazipur with 330 positive cases, Kishoreganj with 202
cases, Narsingdi with 171 cases, Mymensingh with 204 cases, Dhaka district
with 203 cases, Munshiganj with 210 cases, Madaripur with 54 cases,
Chattogram with 159 cases, Gopalganj with 49 cases, Shariatpur with 57 cases,
Lakhkhipur with 50 cases, Cox’s Bazar with 72 cases, Barishal with 48 cases,
Jashore with 79 cases, Habiganj with 70 cases, Cumilla with 150 cases,
Jamalpur with 102 cases, Netrokona with 64 cases, Joypurhat with 39 cases,
Chandpur with 43 cases and Brahmanbaria with 57 cases.
According to the age-group, 8 percent COVID-19 cases are in their 60s, 13
percent in their 50s, 18 percent in their 40s, 24 percent in their 30s, 26
percent in their 20s while 8 percent is above 10 years and 3 percent below 10
years, Nasima added.
According to the gender-based calculation of COVID-infected cases, 68
percent are male and 32 percent female, she said.
The health official said a total of 1,16,919 samples have so far been
tested since the detection of the first COVID-19 cases in the country.
As coronavirus outbreak is on the rising trend in the country, the health
official said, the government is expanding testing facilities across the
country with joint initiatives of government, non-government organizations,
universities, state-run research institutes and private hospitals to fight
the COVID-19 pandemic.
The organizations include Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University
(BSMMU) Hospital, Sheikh Hasina Medical College in Jamalpur, Dhaka
University, Narayangany 300-bed Hospital, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
(AFIP), Childhood Disease Research Foundation, Dhaka Shishu Hospital,
International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b),
Institute for Developing Science and Health Initiatives, Bangladesh Livestock
Research Institute, Central Police Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh Agricultural
University in Mymensingh, Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, Chattogram
Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Jashore University of Science and
Technology and Gazi PCR LAB in Rupganj.
Among them, Nasima said, some institutions are providing necessary support
including donating PCR labs and other equipment to different hospitals for
expediting testing activities in the country.
“We’re continuing sample collection of suspected COVID-19 people from door
to door… by involving the private sector, we’ll lintensify the process (of
collecting samples) from suitable locations to widen testing facilities for
quick confirmation of the deadly disease,” the health official said.
As part of efforts to increase testing activities, BRAC, a leading non-
government organization, has already set up four sample collection booths at
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), three booths at Shaheed
Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital and one at Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Mujib
Memorial KPJ Specialised Hospital in Gazipur, she said.
Installation of such booths is underway at different hospitals and service
providing institutions in virus-prone areas of the country, Nasima added.
In case of elderly and physically-challenged people, the government has
preferred sample collection from their homes, the heath official continued.
In a bid to expedite COVID-19 testing activities , the government will set
up required number of booths across the country, she added.
According to DGHS, a total of 2,0,8,405 people were kept at both home and
institutional quarantine and 1,71,222 people were released from quarantine,
while the number of people who are now in quarantine is 37,183.
It said a total of 615 institutions have been prepared across the country
for keeping over 30,955 people in quarantine, adding nearly 1,874 people have
now been kept in isolation.
The health service organization said as part of taking preventative
measures to stop imported cases of COVID-19, the authorities of all gateways,
including airports, land ports and waterways, are continuing screening of all
foreign returnees.
It said the government has collected 20, 93,293 PPE so far, of which over
16,79,114 were distributed and 4,14,076 are in stock.
There are 8632 isolation beds in the country and 2900 of them are in Dhaka
city, it added.
The DGHS said in case of critical COVID-19 patients, special facilities
including oxygen, ICU and dialysis units are needed in hospitals. At present,
the country has 329 ICUs and 102 dialysis units, it added.
The DGHS sources said till today, nearly 45,22,848 people received
healthcare services from hotline mobile numbers and health web portals as the
government formed a group of medical professionals to provide emergency
health services.
To receive information and treatment facilities on COVID-19, the contact
hotline and mobile numbers are 16263; 333; 10655 and 01944333222.
As of May 9, 2020, 10:22 GMT, 276,498 people have died so far from the
coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak and there are 4, 030,053 currently confirmed
cases in 212 countries and territories, according to Worldometer, a reference
website that provides counters and real-time statistics for diverse topics.
China was the world’s first country which on January 11 reported the first
death from the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, the capital of Central China’s
Hubei province.