Covid-19: Death toll goes up by 32

Highlights:

• Total infected: 255,113 or 20.42%
• Total death: 3,365 or 1.32%
• Total recovery: 146,604 or 57.47%
• Total sample test: 1,249,560
• Isolated: 19,025
• In Quarantine: 52,942

Yet another 32 people died of the lethal coronavirus in the last 24 hours till 8am on Saturday.

Thirty-one of them died in different hospitals countrywide and one at home.

With these fresh fatalities, the death toll from the highly contagious virus has risen to 3,365. The overall death rate now stands at 1.32 percent.

In the last 24 hours, 2,611 people tested positive for Covid-19 at an infection rate of 22.25 percent, taking the tally of cases to 255,113.

The overall infection rate is 20.42 percent, revealed Professor Dr Nasima Sultana, additional director general (administration) of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) during a virtual briefing on Saturday.

Among the deceased, 25 were men and seven were women. Moreover, 16 of them hailed from Dhaka division, five from Khulna, four each from Chattogram and Rajshahi, two from Sylhet and one from Barishal, she added.

Professor Nazrul Islam, a noted virologist and former vice-chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, told The Business Standard that the number of Covid-19 patients will increase by August 15. After that, the cases will not grow for a longer period.

"We will have to use that time when, by testing more and more, the infected will need to be isolated. And everyone has to follow hygiene rules. Only then will it be possible to prevent infections."

In the past 24 hours, 1,020 patients were declared free from the novel coronavirus, with the total number of recoveries reaching 146,604. The recovery rate is around 57.47 percent.

As per the gender breakdown of Covid-19 victims in the last 24 hours, 78.90 percent were men and 21.10 percent were women.

While talking about division-wise fresh cases, Dr Nasima said 1,613 hailed from Dhaka division, 798 from Chattogram, 252 from Khulna, 209 from Rajshahi, 158 from Sylhet, 132 from Barishal, 132 from Rangpur and 71 from Mymensingh.