Covid-19: Another disturbing milestone ahead

The country is all set to have Covid-19 cases cross the 1.5 lakh mark on Thursday as the total number of infection stood at 149,258 on Wednesday. 

It will be the second worrying milestone in less than half a month since Bangladesh passed one lakh cases on June 18. 

The health directorate on Wednesday reported 41 more Covid-19 deaths and 3,775 new cases of infection.        

The death toll has now reached 1,888 and total cases jumped to 149,258, Prof Nasima Sultana, additional director general of the health directorate, said during Wednesday's briefing.

The latest cases were found after testing 17,875 samples at 69 labs across the country in 24 hours until Wednesday morning.  

"Among the deceased, 38 were men and three were women. Thirteen of them hailed from Dhaka, 17 from Chattogram, five from Khulna, three from Barishal, two from Sylhet and one from Rangpur division," Prof Nasima said. 

"Twenty-three patients died at different hospitals and 18 at their respective homes," she further said.

Analyzing the age group, she said the highest number of Covid-19 patients -- 43.27 percent -- died till date were aged 60 and above. The age groups of 51-60 and 41-50 come next with respectively 28.81 percent and 14.99 percent deaths. 

The health directorate official said the rest of the age groups stand below eight percent in aspect of Covid-19 death.

She said 2,484 patients have recovered in the last 24 hours raising the tally to 62,102.

Prof Nasima Sultana said that around 41.61 percent of novel coronavirus patients – both symptomatic and asymptomatic – have recovered so far, while 1.26 percent have died. Latest data show that the infection rate rose to 21.12 percent from 19.03 percent. 

She said, "The authorities placed 955 individuals with Covid-19 symptoms under isolation, bringing the total to 15,547."

She added that the number of general beds dedicated to Covid-19 treatment in Dhaka metropolitan and countrywide are respectively 6,075 and 14,748. There are 149 ICUs for Dhaka metropolitan and 381 across the country. 

There are 11,144 oxygen cylinders, 204 high-flow nasal cannulas and 98 oxygen concentrators available across the country.