Number of dengue patients decreasing
1,572 new patients were admitted to hospitals across the country from 8 am Monday to 8 am Tuesday, dropping from 1,615 in the previous 24 hours, according to the DGHS
The number of dengue patients has started decreasing in the capital and elsewhere in the country. The average number of patients admitted daily exceeded 2,000 in the last two weeks, but this figure has now decreased to 1,500.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), in last 24 hours (8 am Monday – 8 am Tuesday), 1,572 new patients were admitted to hospitals across the country, dropping from 1,615 in the previous 24 hours.
The directorate says altogether 6,470 dengue patients are being treated across the country at present, out of which 3,413 are in forty-one different hospitals in Dhaka and 3,057 in hospitals elsewhere in the country.
Earlier, from 8 am Sunday to 8 am Monday, 6,733 dengue patients were admitted to hospitals across the country, out of which 3,419 were in Dhaka and 3,314 elsewhere in the country.
However, the decline of dengue infection in the last few days does not necessarily mean a decrease in the dengue outbreak. Usually, dengue outbreaks start in June, intensify in September, then decrease in October. So, the pick time of dengue is yet to start.
This year, the dengue outbreak occurred in the capital from the very onset of the rainy season, and the number of dengue patients just at the beginning of August was higher than the total number of patients last year.
The DGHS says 56,369 patients have been admitted to hospital so far this year, out of which 36,336 were within the first 20 days of August.
The health directorate has so far confirmed 40 deaths after analysing 70 ‘death reviews’. However, private sources say the number has exceeded 140.
Earlier, the highest death toll was 93 in 2000.
Two more die of dengue
At least two people from Faridpur and from Shariotpur died of dengue on Monday.
Shahed Ali, 35, who was a rickshaw puller at Dhaka, died at Faridpur Medical College at around 10 pm on Monday. He hailed from Rajbari and was a son of Monser Ali.
Suraya Easmin, 31, was the wife of Kamal Dhali, from Damuda upazila in Shariotpur. She was identified with dengue on Saturday and was immediately taken to a private hospital. Later, her family brought her home at 9 pm on Monday. She died around 3 am on Tuesday.
