DHAKA, May 16, 2020 (BSS) – Bangladesh today reported 16 more deaths from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and 930 fresh positive cases overnight.
“Sixteen more COVID-19 patients died in the last 24 hours, increasing the death toll from the pandemic to 314,” DGHS Additional Director General (administration) Prof Nasima Sultana told a virtual media briefing at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in the city.
This is the second highest single-day spike of deaths from COVID-19 in Bangladesh since the country reported 19 fatalities on May 13.
Nasima said the virus caseload has surged to 20,995 in the same period after 930 new cases were detected.
She said that a total of 6,782 samples were tested at the authorised labs across the country during the period.
The health official informed that the recovery count also jumped to 4,117 in the last 24 hours after 235 patients were discharged from hospitals.
Bangladesh confirmed the first coronavirus death on March 18, ten days after the detection of the first COVID-19 cases.
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 16 deaths, six in their 50s, three in their 60s, five in their 40s, one in his 30s and one in his 70s. Of the fatalities , all are male, the health official said.
Among the COVID-19 victims, seven are in Dhaka city and rests are outside the capital city. According to the division-wise data, 12 deaths took place in Dhaka division and two each in Chattogram Rangpur divisions.
Analyzing the overall trend of COVID-19 in the past three weeks, Nasima
said a total of 3792 positive cases with 35 deaths were reported from April 26 to May 2, 4980 infections with 39 fatalities from May 3 to May 9 and 9,225 cases with 101 deaths from May 10 to 16.
“We have got information from 33 labs out of 41 today… a total of 605 cases were found from 12 labs out of 20 in Dhaka city while 325 cases were confirmed from 21 labs outside Dhaka city,” she said.
The health official said of the 6782 sample tests, 3740 were performed in Dhaka city and 3058 outside the capital city.
She said COVID-19 cases were found in 64 districts, meaning that all regions of the country are now risky for the fatal disease.
Nasima dubbed Dhaka and Narayanganj COVID-19 as “hotspots” as the maximum number of cases were detected in the two cities.
As of May 15, Dhaka city has been considered as the worst-affected with 57.89 percent of COVID cases, while Dhaka division has remained at the top position with 79.16 percent infected cases out of total coronavirus patients,according to Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).
Of the total infections, 11,750 cases were reported in Dhaka division, 1,333 cases in Chattogram division, 519 cases in Mymensingh division, 274 cases in Khulna division, 158 cases in Barishal division, 382 cases in Rangpur division, 219 cases in Sylhet division and 208 cases in Rajshahi division, it added.
Among the COVID-19-prone districts, Narayanganj is the most hardest- hit one with 1391 cases, according to the IEDCR data.
It was followed by Chattogram with 553 cases, Gazipur with 490 positive cases, Munshiganj with 297, Mymensingh with 276 cases, , Cumilla with 259 cases, Dhaka with 252 cases, Kishoreganj with 206 cases, Rangpur with 173 cases and Narsingdi with 173 cases.
Other districts where significant number of COVID-19 patients were detected include Madaripur with 61 cases, Gopalganj with 78 cases, Shariatpur with 67 cases, Lakhkhipur with 93 cases, Cox’s Bazar with 139 cases, Jashore with 89 cases, Habiganj with 100 cases, Jamalpur with 113 cases, Netrokona with 89 cases, Chandpur with 77 cases, , Dinajpur with 47 cases, Nilphamari with 43 cases, Barishal with 60 cases, Noakhali with 69 cases, Brahmanbaria with 59 cases, Joypurhat with 56 cases and Jhenaidah with 43 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 1,67,294 samples have so far been tested at 41 PCR labs since the detection of the first COVID-19 cases in the country.
Of the total 41 PCR labs, 20 labs are in Dhaka city and 21 outside the capital city, she said.
“On May 13, three more PCR labs were included in the list of test in 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 ramping up testing facilities, the government is expanding healthcare facilities for COVID-19 patients, Nasima said adding, 500 isolation beds are being prepared at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, while 200 beds are being prepared at Mymensingh Nursing College dormitories.
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.
Referring to the private sector’s healthcare services to contain COVID-19 in the country, Nasima said Anwar Khan Modern Medical College Hospital in the capital is expected to start providing treatment to coronavirus patients from today.
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 for procuring
3,050 more oxygen cylinders is underway.
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.
According to the DGHS, a total of people 2,36,914 were kept at both home
and institutional quarantine and 1,88,773 people were released from quarantine, while the number of people who are now in quarantine is 48,141.
It said a total of 615 institutions have been prepared across the country
for keeping over 30,955 people in quarantine, adding nearly 3046 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 22, 17,339 PPE so far, of which over 18,72,066 were distributed and 3,45,273 are in stock.
The DGHS sources said till today, nearly 55,84,680 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 16, 2020, 10:05 GMT, 308,927 people have died so far from the
COVID-19 outbreak and there are 4,643,176 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.