Online Desk : Bangladesh today reported seven more deaths from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) overnight, taking the death toll from the pandemic to 206.
However, the recovery count rose to 2101 in the same period after 191 patients were discharged from hospitals, a top health official said.
“As many as 709 people tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, increasing the tally of infections to 13,134,” DGHS Additional Director General (administration) Prof Nasima Sultana told a virtual media briefing at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in the city.
She said a total of 5,941 samples were tested at 35 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 COVID-19-infected cases, Nasima said, nearly 75 percent patients are taking treatment from their homes, and many of them are being cured every day after receiving treatment through hotlines.
As of May 7, of the total fatalities, 106 deaths were recorded in Dhaka city while 165 took place in Dhaka division and rests are in other seven divisions, 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.
Rangamati, with four cases, has been included in the list of COVID-19-prone districts as the latest one.
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 7, Dhaka city has been considered as the worst-affected with 58.70 percent of COVID cases, while Dhaka division has remained at the top position with 82.66 percent infected cases out of total coronavirus patients, according to Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).
Of the total infections, 8,289 cases were reported in Dhaka division, 514 cases in Chattogram division, 371 cases in Mymensingh division, 194 cases in Khulna division, 129 cases in Barishal division, 230 cases in Rangpur division, 161 cases in Sylhet division and 140 cases in Rajshahi division, it added.
Among the 63 COVID-19-prone districts, Narayanganj is the most hardest-hit one with 1078 cases, according to the IEDCR data.
It is followed by Gazipur with 328 positive cases, Kishoreganj with 202 cases, Narsingdi with 167 cases, Mymensingh with 201 cases, Dhaka district with 195 cases, Munshiganj with 178 cases, Madaripur with 53 cases, Chattogram with 140 cases, Gopalganj with 45 cases, Shariatpur with 55 cases, Lakhkhipur with 48 cases, Cox’s Bazar with 45 cases, Barishal with 47 cases, Jashore with 75 cases, Habiganj with 70 cases, Cumilla with 135 cases, Jamalpur with 79 cases, Netrokona with 63 cases, Joypurhat with 37 cases and Brahmanbaria with 56 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 is above 10 years and 3 percent below 10 years, Nasima added.
According to 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 1,11,454 samples have so far been tested since the detection of the first COVID-19 cases in the country.
As coronavirus outbreak is on the rising trend in the country, the health official said, 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.
There are 35 PCR labs in the country, the health official said adding, Dhaka University jointed testing activities through setting up a PCR lab yesterday (Thursday) while Narayangany 300-bed hospital was included in testing of COVID-19 from today.
Among them, Nasima said, some institutions are providing necessary support including donating PCR labs and other equipment to different hospitals for expediting testing activities in the country.
“We’re continuing sample collection of suspected COVID-19 people from door to door… by involving the private sector, we’ll lintensify the process (of collecting samples) from suitable locations to widen testing facilities for quick confirmation of the deadly disease,” the health official said.
As part of efforts to increase testing activities, BRAC, a leading non- government organization, has already set up four sample collection booths at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), three booths at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital and one at Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Mujib Memorial KPJ Specialised Hospital in Gazipur, she said.
Installation of such booths is underway at different hospitals and service providing institutions in virus-prone areas of the country, Nasima added.
In case of elderly and physically challenged people, the government has preferred sample collection from their homes, the heath official continued.
In a bid to expedite COVID-19 testing activities , the government will set up required number of booths across the country, she added.
According to DGHS, a total of 2,0,6650 people were kept at both home and institutional quarantine and 1,67,504 people were released from quarantine, while the number of people who are now in quarantine is 39,146.
It said a total of 615 institutions have been prepared across the country for keeping over 30,955 people in quarantine, adding nearly 1,874 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 20, 70,490 PPE so far, of which over 16,56,514 were distributed and 4,13,976 are in stock.
There are 8594 isolation beds in the country and 2900 of them are in Dhaka city, it added.
The DGHS 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, it added.
The DGHS sources said till today, nearly 45,83,000 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 8, 2020, 10:56 GMT, 271,095 people have died so far from the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak and there are 3, 934,813 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.
