DHAKA, May 13, 2020 (BSS) – Bangladesh today reported 19 more deaths from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the highest over a 24-hour period, raising the fatalities from the pandemic to 269.
The caseload has also soared to 17,822 after 1,162 people, in the steepest single-day jump, tested positive for COVID-19 during the same period, a top health official said.
“Nineteen more COVID-19 patients died in the last 24 hours, increasing the death toll from the pandemic to 269,” 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 the recovery count rose to 3,361 in the last 24 hours after 214 patients were discharged from hospitals.
The health official informed that a total of 7,900 samples, the highest in a single day, were tested at 41 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 infections, 18.52 percent patients have recovered so far, while 1.53 percent died, 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 19 deaths, five are in their 70s, five in their 60s, seven in their 50s, one in his 40s and one is below ten years old. Of the fatalities, 12 are male and seven female.
Of the deaths, 13 are in Dhaka city, one in Narayanganj, one in Narail, two in Chattogram and one in Cumilla, 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 12, Dhaka city has been considered as the worst-affected with 59.45 percent of COVID cases, while Dhaka division has remained at the top position with 80.08 percent infected cases out of total coronavirus patients, according to Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).
Of the total infections, 10,444 cases were reported in Dhaka division, 879 cases in Chattogram division, 476 cases in Mymensingh division, 246 cases in Khulna division, 152 cases in Barishal division, 339 cases in Rangpur division, 199 cases in Sylhet division and 185 cases in Rajshahi division, it added.
Among the COVID-19-prone districts, Narayanganj is the most hardest- hit one with 1286 cases, according to the IEDCR data.
It was followed by Gazipur with 347 positive cases, Chattogram with 314 cases, , Mymensingh with 246 cases, Dhaka district with 238 cases, Munshiganj with 217 cases, Kishoreganj with 205 cases and Narsingdi with 172 cases.
Other districts where significant number of COVID-19 patients were detected include Madaripur with 57 cases, Gopalganj with 62 cases, Shariatpur with 60 cases, Lakhkhipur with 74 cases, Cox’s Bazar with 107 cases, Barishal with 56 cases, Jashore with 84 cases, Habiganj with 81 cases, Cumilla with 186 cases, Jamalpur with 110 cases, Netrokona with 81 cases, Joypurhat with 55 cases, Chandpur with 56 cases, Dinajpur with 43 cases, Nilphamari with 43 cases and Brahmanbaria with 58 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.
As per 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 144,538 samples have so far been tested since the detection of the first COVID-19 cases in the country.
“In the past 24 hours, three more PCR labs have been included in the list of testing facilities, raising the total number to 41. Of these, two are in Dhaka city and another is outside Dhaka,” she said.
The three labs have been set up at Sheikh Hasina Medical College in Jamalpur and Ibn Sina Hospital and Prava Health in Dhaka.
The DGHS said a process is going on to install 13 more PCR labs in the country to widen the testing facilities.
“Presently on an average 7,000 samples of COVID-19 suspected cases are being performed every day, and after installation of 13 PCR labs, nearly 10000 tests will be carried out in the country every day,” it said.
Apart from testing facilities, the government is expanding healthcare facilities for COVID-19 patients, Nasima said adding, 500 isolation beds are being prepared in Mymensingh Medical College Hospital while 200 beds are being prepared at dormitories of Mymensingh Nursing College.
According to the data of the health ministry, 5000 isolation beds will be added to healthcare services very soon to tackle the pandemic.
Isolation centres with 4500 beds have been prepared in Dhaka city, while 2000 beds have been kept ready at the Bashundhdhra Convention Centre, 1300 beds at DNCC market and 1200 beds at four buildings at Diabari in city’s Uttara area, the ministry said.
There are 13,745 oxygen cylinders in hospitals at eight divisions, while the number is 10,394 at all dedicated COVID-19 hospitals and isolation units in the capital city, it said.
Besides, the ministry said, specialized and many medical college hospitals also have sufficient stock of the cylinders, while a process is underway for procuring of 3,050 oxygen cylinders.
The DGHS sources said there are 8632 isolation beds in the country and 2900 of them are in Dhaka city.
They 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.
As coronavirus outbreak is on the rising trend in the country, 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, Gazi PCR LAB in Rupgan, Abdul Maleq Ukil Medical College Hospital in Noakhali and Noakhali University of Science and Technology.
According to the DGHS, a total of people 2,27,642 were kept at both home and institutional quarantine and 1,82,361 people were released from quarantine, while the number of people who are now in quarantine is 45,221.
It said a total of 615 institutions have been prepared across the country for keeping over 30,955 people in quarantine, adding nearly 3435 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 21, 67,547 PPE so far, of which over 17,96,196 were distributed and 3,71,351 are in stock.
The DGHS sources said till today, nearly 50,65,556 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 13, 2020, 11:02 GMT, 293,236 people have died so far from the COVID-19 outbreak and there are 4,358,228 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.