ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Bangladesh today recorded the biggest single-day spike of deaths of 22 people from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), raising the total number of fatalities from the pandemic to 408, BSS reports.
The caseload also soared to 28,511 after 1,773 people, the highest in a single day, tested positive for COVID-19 during the same period, a top health official said.
“Twenty-two more COVID-19 patients died in the last 24 hours, bringing the body count to 408,” 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 that a total of 10,262 samples were tested, the highest in a single day, at the 47 authorised labs across the country during the period.
She informed that the recovery count also jumped to 5602 in the last 24 hours after 395 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.
Among the total infections, 19.47 percent patients have recovered while 1.04 percent died so far since the first COVID-19 positive cases were reported in the country on March 8, 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 22 deaths, one is in his 30s, two in their 40s, 10 in their 50s, three in their 60s, two in their 70s, two in their 80s, and two below 20.
Among the COVID-19 victims, the health official said eight are in Dhaka city and rests are outside the capital.
According to the division-wise data, 10 deaths took place in Dhaka division, eight in Chattogram division and one in Mymensingh division.
Nasima said a total of 3,792 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.
She 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 as COVID-19 “hotspots” as the maximum number of cases were detected in the two cities.
According to the data of DGHS, Chattogram division, with 2,339 cases, has been identified as a “new epicenter” of COVID-19.
As of May 20, Dhaka city has been considered as the worst-affected with 58.18 percent of COVID cases, while Dhaka division has remained at the top position with 76.54 percent infected cases out of total coronavirus patients, according to Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).
Of the total infections, 15,794 cases were reported in Dhaka division, 2,339 cases in Chattogram division, 689 cases in Mymensingh division, 412 cases in Khulna division, 163 cases in Barishal division, 613 cases in Rangpur division, 251 cases in Sylhet division and 373 cases in Rajshahi division, it added.
Among the COVID-19-prone districts, Narayanganj is the most hardest- hit one with 1,582 cases, according to the IEDCR data.
It was followed by Chattogram with 1,100 cases, Gazipur with 539 positive cases, Munshiganj with 400, Cumilla with 400 cases, Dhaka with 381 cases, Mymensingh with 351 cases, Rangpur with 325 cases, Cox’s Bazar with 232 cases, Kishoreganj with 209 cases and Narsingdi with 175 cases.
Other districts where significant number of COVID-19 patients were detected include – Madaripur with 71 cases, Gopalganj with 118 cases, Shariatpur with 74, Faridpur with 106 cases, Lakhkhipur with 104 cases, Brahmanbaria with 67 cases, Noakhali with 199 cases, Feni with 90 cases, Chandpur with 86 cases, Sylhet with 48 cases, Habiganj with 112 cases, Sunamganj with 52 cases, Jashore with 116 cases, Chuadanga with 89 cases, Jhenaidah with 46 cases, Jamalpur with 152 cases, Netrokona with 120 cases, Dinajpur with 73 cases, Nilphamari with 53 cases, Barishal with 61 cases and Joypurhat with 99 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 are female, she said.
The health official said a total of 2,14,114 samples have so far been tested at 47 PCR labs since the detection of the first COVID-19 cases in the country.
Of the total 47 PCR labs, 24 labs are in Dhaka city and 23 outside the capital city, she said adding, in the past 24 hours, four PCR labs have been included in the list of testing activities of COVID-19 cases.
Among the new four labs, one has been set up at Anwar Khan Modern Medical College Hospital, one in BioMed Diagnostic and Research Laboratory, one in Rajshahi Medical College Hospital and one in Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, the health official added.
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 readied at Mymensingh Nursing College dormitories.
She said a total of 4150 isolation beds have been added to the healthcare services in Dhaka city. There are 13,284 isolation beds in the country and of them, 7,250 are in Dhaka city.
She said in case of critical COVID-19 patients, special facilities including oxygen, ICU and dialysis units are needed in hospitals.
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