COVID-19 claims 21, infects 1602 in a day in Bangladesh

Bangladesh on Monday continued witnessing record numbers of daily COVID-19 deaths and infections as the country passed the 72nd day since the authorities reported the first novel coronavirus infections.

During the 24 hours till 8:00am on the day, COVID-19 claimed 21 more lives and infected 1,602 more people – both highest for a single day in the country.

With the new figures, the death toll from the viral disease rose to 349 and the infections to 23,870, said Nasima Sultana, additional director general of Directorate General of Health Services, in its daily online bulletin on the COVID-19 situation on Monday.

Bangladesh confirmed its first COVID-19 cases on March 8 and its first death from the infection on March 18.

The country is now in the 11th week since.

Coronavirus deaths and infections saw sharp rises after the government on May 10 relaxed the ongoing lockdown, reopening markets, shopping malls and factories.

Since May 10, also the beginning of the 10th week since the first infections, at least 10,100 infected people have been detected and 135 people known to have died of COVID-19.

In the first two days of the 11th week, 2,875 infections were diagnosed and 35 people died.

The eighth week witnessed the identification of 3,792 infections and 35 deaths while the infections found in the ninth week were 4,980 and the deaths 39.

COVID-19 infections more than doubled in the past 12 days. On April 6, the number of infections detected was 11,719 which shot to 23,870 on Monday.

COVID-19 Situation in Bangladesh Until May 18, 2020. Source: Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research

Deaths also doubled in the past 16 days, from 175 on May 2 to 349 on Monday. 

Nasima said that among the 21 new deaths recorded in the past 24 hours, four happened at home. Two were brought dead to hospitals.

It was the first incident reported by the DGHS that any COVID-19 patient died at home or outside a hospital. Many people have died with COVID-19 symptoms without tests since March.

The 15 others of the new 21 deaths occurred at hospitals, Nasima said.

Among the deceased, 17 were male and four female.

Twelve of the deaths were recorded in Dhaka division, including six in the capital, seven in Chattogram division, one in Sylhet and one in Rajshahi.  Eight of the deceased were aged between 51 and 60 years, six between 41 and 50 years, five between 61and 70 years and two were between 31and 40 years.

On Monday, 3,383 suspected patients were in isolation.

Besides, 212 people recovered from infection in the 24-hour period, taking the total the number of recovery to 4,585.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net