Covid-19: First ever 100 plus female deaths in a day

Bangladesh on Sunday reported 225 nationwide deaths from Covid-19, of whom 102 were women.

This is for the first time that the single day deaths of women crossed the 100-mark in the country.

As the Covid-19 situation worsens, the mortality gap between men and women begins to narrow.

Even a day ago, of the total 204 deaths, 125 were men and 79 were women. Some 12,414 men have so far died from the virus, while the figures are 5,480 for women.

The overall death rate among women is 30.62% while the rate is 69.38% among men.

The deaths from Covid-19 have increased by more than 15% in the last week ended Saturday compared to the previous one as the Delta variant rips through the country.

In the past 24 hours until Sunday morning, the country registered 225 fatalities and 11,578 new cases, raising the total death tally to 17,894 and caseload to 1,103,989.   

Compared to the previous one, the infection rate in the last week spiked more than 13%, according to the health directorate. 

Health directorate Spokesperson Professor Nazmul Islam said they observed a worrying uptrend in the infection pattern in the last week as both public and private medical facilities had been running out of hospital beds for Covid patients.  

"The infection rate in the last seven days hovered above 19% for most of the time," Professor Nazmul told a bulletin Sunday.

In the 28th epidemiological week from 11 July to 17 July, Bangladesh recorded 83,096 Covid cases and 1,480 deaths. In the previous week from 4 July to 10 July, 73,059 people were diagnosed positive with the virus, while 1,277 virus patients succumbed to the infection.   

Professor Nazmul at the virtual bulletin requested the Eid holidaymakers, who were streaming out of the capital for their ancestral villages amid a relaxed movement restriction, to maintain personal virus safety measures.  

In the preceding 24 hours, the positivity rate was 29.09% and the death rate was 1.62%. In the face of the runaway infection curve, the health directorate spokesperson noted his concern over health safety guideline violations at sacrificial cattle markets.  

"Both cattle sellers and customers have to wear face masks. I request children, citizens with comorbidity factors, unvaccinated and elderly people and individuals with Covid-like symptoms not to go to the markets," he added.       

While replying to a query, Prof Nazmul said they repeatedly express their concerns over issues related to public health.

"We have already issued our specific advice on virus safety for the public offices. Since the Ministry of Local Government supervises the cattle markets, I know they also have an eye on the safety measures," he commented.

Prof Nazmul advised people to test dengue alongside Covid-19 if they develop a fever as the mosquito-borne viral infection also breaks out in recent times. He said it would be difficult for the health directorate to tackle the overall healthcare situation if dengue prevalence worsens.    

In the past 24 hours until Sunday, Dhaka division reported the highest 60 deaths followed by 54 in Khulna, 40 in Chattogram, 20 in Rajshahi, 14 each in Sylhet and Rangpur, and Mymensingh, and nine in Barishal division.        

Pvt hospitals get rapid antigen approval, highest fee Tk700

The health directorate has approved 78 private hospitals across the country for the Covid-19 rapid antigen test.

In a circular Sunday, the directorate said Tk700 will be the highest cost for the test at private clinics.

The government in December last year introduced the antigen test. Since then, districts that do not have any RT-PCR testing facility have been relying on the quick diagnosis method that detects Covid-19 in less than 30 minutes.