Deaths from Covid-19 are not decreasing in Bangladesh

Highlights:

• Total infected: 292,625 or 20.44%
• Total death: 3,907 or 1.34%
• Total recovery: 175,567 or 60.00%
• Total sample test: 1,431,855
• Isolated: 20,620
• In Quarantine: 53,263

A total 168 days have passed since Bangladesh first detected Covid-19 within its borders. Meanwhile, the number of Covid-19 cases is decreasing gradually, but the situation is not the same in terms of deaths from the virus.

The number of daily deaths from the novel coronavirus have been fluctuating between 35 and 47 since June.

Bangladesh confirmed 46 more deaths from the virus in the last 24 hours till Saturday at 8am.

The country's death toll from Covid-19 now stands at 3,907 and the death rate is 1.34 percent.

Bangladesh reported the first Covid-19 cases on March 8 and the first death from the virus on March 18.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Bangladesh is now in epidemiological week 34.

On August 17, the WHO published its latest weekly report saying, in epidemiological week 33, in comparison to the previous week, the number of Covid-19 deaths increased by 5.3 percent, the number of Covid-19 active cases increased by 7.4 percent and the new weekly cases increased by 12.5 percent.

Experts say the number of deaths due to Covid-19 is not decreasing in the country due to a lack of proper measures to reduce the number of infections.

Professor Ridwanur Rahman, medicine specialist and head of the research center at Universal Medical College, told The Business Standard that the number of deaths is not decreasing because community transmission is still ongoing.

"If there is community transmission, one percent of the patients will die. This is the scientific rule. There is no substitute for reducing the number of infections to reduce the number of deaths. Tests, isolation and quarantine to reduce the number of infections is the only way to bring down the number of deaths," he added.

He said the actual number of Covid-19 deaths is higher than the officially-published figure.

For the first time on May 31, Bangladesh reported the deaths of 40 people in a single day.

The highest single-day death toll, of 64 people, was recorded on June 30 and the second highest daily deaths of 53 people was reported on June 16.

Prof Nazrul Islam, former vice-chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, and noted virologist, told The Business Standard that people have turned away from hospitals because of suffering.

"So many are dying because they are going to hospitals at the last stage. Older people and those with comorbidities are dying more. This risky population needs to be kept at home to reduce the number of deaths," he added. 

He said, "Even if patients go to hospitals, they have to make sure that they get adequate care there. Adequate oxygen and high-flow nasal cannula should be provided in hospitals. Many hospitals do not have high-flow nasal cannulas yet."

Stating that many are dying young, Professor Nazrul Islam called for taking appropriate action after analysing the history of those who are dying at a young age.

In the last 24 hours, 2,265 people tested positive for Covid-19 and the number of novel coronavirus cases in the country now stands at 292,625.

The latest day's infection rate was 19.95 percent of the total tests, though the overall rate in the country till date was 20.44 percent.

Of the deceased, 36 were men and ten were women. Moreover: 27 of them hailed from Dhaka, eight from Rajshahi, five from Chattogram, two each from Sylhet and Barishal, and one each from the Rangpur and Khulna divisions.

Forty-five of them died in different hospitals and one at their residence.

A total of 2,952 patients were declared free of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours and the total number of recoveries reached 175,567; the recovery rate was around 60 percent.

Some 10,595 samples were collected in the last 24 hours and 11,356 were tested in 91 labs across the country. So far 1,431,855 samples have been tested.