Outbreak keeps gaining pace

The coronavirus outbreak threatens to spiral out of control as the authorities reported nine more deaths and 306 new cases of infection in 24 hours till 2:30pm yesterday.

The death toll is now 84 and the total number of cases 2,144.

The capital continues to remain the worst affected region with highest 32 percent of the new cases being reported here, said Prof Meerjady Sabrina Flora, director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).

Six of the nine deaths were reported in the city, while two in Narayanganj and one in Savar, she said yesterday in the daily bulletin on the coronavirus situation.

Four of the deceased were aged over 60, one aged between 51 and 60, two between 41 and 50 and one between 30 and 40. Nothing was mentioned about the age of the other victim.

Till yesterday, the number of Covid-19 patients in the country stood at 1,994 while that of recovery cases remained unchanged from Friday at 66, said the IEDCR director.

After Dhaka, the highest number of new cases were reported in Gazipur, a new epicentre of the outbreak, followed by Narayanganj and Kishoreganj.

Of the new cases of infection, 62 percent are male and 48 percent female.

Overall, almost 34 percent of all the coronavirus cases in the country were detected in the capital alone, according to IEDCR website.

Providing additional information on the countrywide infection, Prof Flora said 21-30 was the age group worst affected by the outbreak.

About 27 percent of the total cases are aged between 21 and 30, while 22 percent between 31 and 40, and 19 percent between 41 and 50 years, she said.

On Friday, the IEDCR director had said among the total infected, 68 percent were taking treatment at their homes while 32 percent were admitted to different hospitals.

“Not all the 32 percent Covid-19 patients, who are receiving treatment at hospitals, required hospitalisation,” she said, adding that many had to be admitted to hospitals in face of social pressure.

She emphasised that if a patient was in a stable state, it was best for the person and the health authorities that the individual was given treatment at his home in complete isolation.

In the bulletin yesterday, aired online, Prof Nasima Sultana, additional director general of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), said 2,114 samples were tested in 24 hours till 2:30pm yesterday, which brought the total number of samples tested to 21,307.

She said the number of tests increased by 11.01 percent from the previous day.

She also said Covid-19 testing facility was ensured at Jashore Science and Technology University, taking the total number of such testing labs to 19 across the country.

“From now on, samples to be collected from Jashore, Jhenidah and Narail districts would be tested there” she said.

On March 8, the authorities reported first three cases of Covid-19 while the first patients died of the disease on March 18.