Recovery rate from Covid-19 jumps to 11% within a day

Suddenly, the recovery rate from the deadly novel coronavirus in the country has jumped to 11.2 percent within a day.

Till Saturday, 177 patients had recovered from Covid-19 – just two percent of the total confirmed cases.

As of Sunday, that number has leapt to 1,063 and a total 9,455 people have tested positive for the virus.

"The number of recoveries has increased because we are following the Bangladesh Clinical Management Committee's new guideline," said Additional Director General of Health Directorate Professor Dr Nasima Sultana during a virtual briefing yesterday.

As per the previous guideline, in line with the World Health Organisation, a patient had to take a second test within 14 to 21 days after he or she had tested positive for the virus.

If the test result was negative, there would be a third test within 24 hours of the second test. The patient was released from the hospital only when both the second and the third tests were negative.

However, the new guideline says the patient will be released after he or she recovers clinically and does not have fever, cough and breathing problems.

"This guideline has boosted the recovery rate," said Professor Dr Nasima Sultana.

Meanwhile, the country has reported the highest single-day rise of Covid-19 cases – 665 – in 24 hours till 8am yesterday.

Two more deaths from the virus were also reported, bringing the total number of casualties to 177.

One of the deceased is from Narayanganj and the other is from Rangpur, Dr Nasima Sultana disclosed.

"In the last 24 hours, 5,214 samples were collected and 5,368 were tested. So far, 81,434 samples have been tested," she added.

Providing details about the recovery rate, she said 439 patients recovered at different divisional hospitals across the country. At the Dhaka divisional hospital, 271 recovered. Meanwhile, 72 in Chattogram, 31 in Mymensingh, 29 in Barisal, 25 in Rangpur, six in Khulna, and two, each, in Rajshahi and Sylhet, recovered.

In the Dhaka metropolitan area, 624 patients were discharged from different hospitals, with the Kuwait Maitree Hospital releasing 298 and Kurmitola General Hospital 213.

Next are the Dhaka Mahanagar General Hospital (38), Rajarbagh Central Police Hospital (26), Sajeda Foundation Hospital (22), Regent Hospital (15), Infectious Diseases Hospital (8), and Mirpur Lalkuthi General Hospital (4).

Currently, 67,739 people are quarantined across the country – including 9,874 newly-quarantined individuals. A total of 2,149 people have completed their time under quarantine.

Nasima Sultana said, "The authorities placed 65 new individuals suspected of having Covid-19 into isolation, bringing the total to 1,637 after 1,082 left."

"The country is capable of accommodating 3,635 people at 601 isolation wards," she added.