Covid: 33 new infections take active cases to 25,449

Bangladesh reported 33 fresh Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours till 8 am Wednesday, taking the tally of active cases to 25,449.

No death from th virus was reported during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

The country has so far identified 19,52,888 cases of the coronavirus.

Of the total patients with active cases, some 63 are admitted to hospitals and the rest are under treatment at home.

Dr M Mushtuq Husain, adviser of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) told The Business Standard,

"A patient is considered Covid-19 negative, 10 days after the infection is detected. Most active Covid cases are now being treated at home."

The DGHS needs to contact patients by phone and ensure that the infected stay in isolation and do not spread the virus, he said, adding that officials should be wary of post-Covid complications in patients.

Mushtuq Husain said, "Infection is high in different parts of the world now. Although the positivity rate in Bangladesh is very low, there is a risk of re-infection in the coming months."

He recommended ensuring that everyone in the country is vaccinated with two doses of Covid-19 vaccines, and those who have taken their last dose more than four months ago should get their third dose.  

Ensuring the dispensing of these vaccine doses will reduce the death rate even if infections are high, he said.

Bangladesh has not seen a death from the coronavirus in the last 22 days, keeping the death toll at 29,127.

According to the DGHS, 249 Covid patients were declared cured in the last 24 hours taking the total recovery rate to 97.21%.

Earlier in January this year, when infections surged due to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the number of active Covid cases crossed 2 lakh in the country.

Bangladesh reported its first Covid case on 8 March 2020 and the first death on 18 March the same year.