Covid-19 daily cases increase again
After four days, Covid-19 daily cases increased again in Bangladesh.
A number of 1,272 more people were infected with Covid-19 in the last 24 hours till Tuesday 8am, taking the case count to 7,82,129.
Earlier on 13 May, Bangladesh reported 1,290 cases, and then daily cases started to decline. Last four days' Covid-19 daily cases were reported below 1,000.
Bangladesh reported 30 more deaths from Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, taking the total death count to 12,211.
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During this period, the fatality rate was 1.56%, according to the data provided by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
In the preceding 24 hours, the positivity rate was recorded at 7.55%, testing 16,855 samples in 466 labs across the country.
Among the latest day's victims, 16 were women, and 14 were men. Of them, 28 died in different hospitals across the country while two at home.
Moreover, 15 of the deceased hailed from the Dhaka Division, eight from Chattogram, two each from Rajshahi, Sylhet and Mymensingh and one from Rangpur division.
Also, 1,115 patients were declared free of Covid-19 during the last 24 hours, with a 92.59% recovery rate.
The country's maiden cases were reported on 8 March last year and the first death from the virus was reported on 18 March.
Indian variant found in 3 more patients
The Indian variant of Covid-19 has been detected in three more Bangladeshis who returned from the neighbouring country.
The presence of the Indian variant was confirmed after conducting genome sequencing on the samples collected from them at the genome centre of Jashore Science and Technology University on Tuesday, Professor Dr Iqbal Kabir Zahid, assistant director of the genome centre, told The Business Standard today.
The three infected persons have been kept in institutional quarantine in Jashore and Narail. They tested positive for the viral disease after testing their samples collected from two of them on 12 May in Jashore Sadar Hospital and from another one in Narail on 16 May.
According to the World Health Organisation, the Indian variant has already spread to 60 countries across the world. Although it is not a variant of a double mutant, it is still a concerning one, he added.
"Now, those who are returning from India can carry any Indian variant. That is why we are trying to confirm the variant if any sample's test result comes positive. Such a patient should not be released unless he tests negative," Dr Iqbal said.
"Also, we need to complete vaccination quickly. Then, the risk of infection will be less."
