Bangladesh logs 100-plus Covid deaths for seventh day

The Covid onslaught in Bangladesh continued as the disease claimed 134 more lives, the new second highest daily death toll, with 6,214 people catching the disease across the country in the past 24-hour period till 8:00am Saturday, the third day of the nationwide fresh restrictions.

Bangladesh on the day logged 100-plus daily deaths from the virus for the seventh consecutive day.

Public health experts warned that the number of deaths would keep climbing if infections continued rising and treatment facilities remained insufficient, especially in rural areas. 

The test positivity rate during the period was 27.39 per cent, which has been rising for the past few days, the Directorate General of Health Services revealed. 

After the virus emerged in Bangladesh on March 8, 2020, the highest infection rate was recorded on August 3 at 31.91 per cent, which was 28.26 on Friday, according to the DGHS data.

The latest figures took the overall death toll from the viral disease to 14,912 and the total number of infections to 9,36,256.

Major Covid hospitals outside the capital city have already been struggling to deal with increasing Covid cases with all their ICU beds occupied and the pressure of patients needing high-flow oxygen rapidly mounting.

Besides, violation of fresh Covid restrictions continued throughout the country while the police arrested 1,491 people only in the capital in the past three days for flouting restrictions.

Mobile courts fined 346 more people Tk 1,06,450 on Saturday as they ignored restrictions, said DMP additional deputy commissioner for media Iftekhairul Islam.

DGHS data showed that the virus claimed 119 lives on June 27, 104 lives on June 28, 112 lives on June 29, 115 lives on June 30, the highest 143 lives on July 1, 132 lives on July 2 and 134 lives on July 3.

Noted virologist and a former vice-chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Nazrul Islam told New Age that the number of deaths increased when the number of infections increased, with the current variant of the virus becoming more virulent, especially if there was shortage of treatment facilities.

Nazrul, also a member of the National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19, reminded that prime minister Sheikh Hasina had given an instruction in June 2020 to build ICU facilities at all district hospitals.

But still as many as 37 district hospitals do not have the facilities, he said.

Mentioning the lack of oxygen facilities at Bogura and Satkhira, which have caused deaths to at least 14 patients with Covid and its symptoms since Wednesday, he urged the authorities concerned to implement the directives regarding ICU facilities. 

Epidemiologist Be-Nazir Ahmed said that the actual number of deaths from Covid was much higher than reported as many people were dying in rural areas before reaching hospitals.

As the number of infections was increasing the number of deaths was also increasing, said Be-Nazir, a former director for disease control at the DGHS.

‘If patients don’t receive the stipulated care, especially during breathing problems, then the number of deaths will also rise,’ he added. 

At least seven patients, with Covid and its symptoms, at Satkhira Medical College Hospital reportedly died following the failure of the central oxygen supply on Wednesday evening.

Another seven people died at the Bogura government Covid hospital between Thursday evening and Friday morning, due to shortage of oxygen and of devices required to apply the life-saving gas.

In the past 24 hours till Saturday morning, 84 of those who died were men and the rest women.

Division-wise, the highest 39 people died in Khulna division, followed by 38 in Dhaka, 23 in Rajshahi, 15 in Rangpur, 11 in Chattogram, four in Mymensingh, three in Barishal and one in Sylhet.

One hundred and seven of them died at public hospitals, 20 at private ones and seven at home, said the government statistics.

Sixty-five of the deceased were above 60 years while 30 were between 51 years and 60 years, 24 between 41 years and 50 years, 10 between 31 years and 40 years, four between 21 years and 30 years and one between 11 years and 20 years, according to the update.

The highest rate of infection was logged at 47.19 per cent in Barishal division, followed by 33.56 per cent in Khulna, 29.89 per cent in Sylhet, 28.71 per cent in Dhaka, 25.63 per cent in Chattogram, 22.5 per cent in Rajshahi, 21.55 per cent in Rangpur and 21.11 per cent in Mymensingh.

Across the country, 22,687 samples were tested during the 24-hour reporting period while 66,93,681 samples in total have been tested so far.

The number of Covid patients who recovered in the 24 hours was 3,777 while a total of 8,29,199 patients have so far recovered  in the country.

Meanwhile, 82 patients — 46 Covid positive and the rest 36 with its symptoms — died at the Covid units of hospitals in Rajshahi, Jashore, Khulna, Tangail, Mymensingh, Barishal, Kushtia, Satkhira and Cumilla districts during the 24 hours.

Our Rajshahi University correspondent, quoting Rajshshi Medical College Hospital director Brigadier Shameem Yazdany, reported that 13 patients — eight Covid positive and five having symptoms — died at the Covid unit of the hospital in the past 24 hours.

Our Jashore correspondent reported that eight died of Covid and six with its symptoms in the district in the past 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the 250-bed Jashore General Hospital, where central oxygen facilities have been introduced recently, has been facing trouble in accommodating coronavirus patients, hospital sources said.

According to Jashore civil surgeon Shaikh Abu Shahin, 140 beds are allocated for Covid patients in the district and 60 new beds would be added soon.

In Khulna, six Covid patients died at the Covid hospital there during the time, the New Age correspondent in Khulna reported, quoting the hospital’s resident medical officer Suhas Chandra Halder.

Four more Covid patients died at private Gazi Medical College Hospital, said the hospital’s chairman Gazi Mizanur Rahman.

Another Covid patient died at Khulna General Hospital, said the Civil Surgeon’s office in Khulna.

Our Tangail correspondent, quoting the district’s civil surgeon Abul Fazal Shahabuddin, reported that nine patients — three Covid positive and six having symptoms of Covid — died in the district in the past 24 hours.

Our Mymensingh correspondent reported that nine patients — two Covid positive and seven with its symptoms – died at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital in the period.

Confirming the deaths, the hospital’s Covid unit focal person Mohiuddin Khan Moon said that currently 260 patients, including 20 at the ICU, were taking treatment as 43 more cases were admitted to the hospital in the 24 hours.

Mymensingh civil surgeon Mohammad Nazrul Islam said that 72 people were found infected with the novel coronavirus after testing 366 samples during the 24 hours.

Our Barishal correspondent reported that nine people — two with Covid and seven with its symptoms — died while160 new patients were identified in the district in the 24 hours.

Barishal divisional heath director Bashudeb Kumar Das said that so far 18,294 people had been infected with the virus and 314 had died from it in the district. 

The New Age Correspondent in Islamic University in Kushtia, quoting the district’s civil surgeon Anowarul Islam, reported that seven Covid patients died at hospitals in the district in the past 24 hours.

Five patients having symptoms of Covid died at the Covid unit of Satkhira Medical College Hospital in the past 24 hours, the New Age correspondent in Satkhira, quoting the hospital superintendent, Kudrat-e-Khuda, reported.

Our correspondent in Cumilla reported that the Covid situation had been deteriorating in the district over the past three days while five people died of the disease in the 24 hours.

‘Our observation is that the situation in the district is deteriorating as the number of Covid patients at its hospitals is doubling by the day,’ said the district’s civil surgeon Mir Mubarak Hossain.

Deputy commissioner Mohammad Kamrul Hasan said that they would be in a tough position to implement the Covid restrictions.

News Courtesy:

https://www.newagebd.net/article/142715/bangladesh-logs-100-plus-covid-deaths-for-seventh-day