Bangladesh again logged zero Covid-related deaths after nearly three weeks as the pandemic is apparently showing signs of easing amid the emergence of a new variant of the virus, Omicron.

The country reported this year’s first zero Covid-related death in a single day on November 20 along with 178 infections since the pandemic broke out in Bangladesh in March 2020.

With the latest cases, the daily-case positivity rate declined to 1.22 per cent from Wednesday’s 1.35 per cent, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

The total fatalities remained static at 28,016 while the caseload mounted to 15,78 550, with the fresh number of cases.

Meanwhile, the mortality rate declined to 1.77 per cent during the period.

Also read: Zero death from Covid brings relief for Bangladesh

The fresh cases were detected after testing 21, 496 samples, amid the growing concern over the new ‘Omicron’ variant of coronavirus.

Besides, the recovery rate remained unchanged at 97.78 per cent with the recovery of 287 more patients during the 24-hour period.

Bangladesh reported the highest number of daily fatalities of 264 on August 5 this year, while the highest daily caseload was 16,230 on July 28 this year.

Covid-19 Waves

On January 12 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City of Hubei Province in China.

On December 31, 2019, China reported to the WHO some cases of pneumonia with unknown causes.

Bangladesh was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic along with many other countries across the globe on March 8 last year when Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) reported the first three cases.

During mid-January to the first week of March, 2021 the infection rate remained below 5 and from the last week of March 2021, the infection and death toll gradually increased suggesting the start of the second wave of Covid-19 in the country.

Delta Havoc

Bangladesh reported the Indian-origin delta variant of coronavirus among its citizens on May 8, 2021 and the situation turned worse gradually. The Delta variant played havoc in Bangladesh from mid-July to the later part of August as the country saw a surge of cases and deaths during the time.

According to a survey of BSMMU (Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University) conducted on 300 samples collected from June 29 to July 30, 98 per cent of Covid pateints were infected with the Delta variant of the virus.

Another research says the UK variant Alpha dominated the country in December 2020 and later South African Beta variant dominated in March 2021 but now most people are being infected with the Delta variant.

Also read: Covid-19 in Bangladesh: Experts urge caution as third wave looms

Third wave not ruled out

Some of the leading public health experts in Bangladesh have warned that the current trend of plummeting Covid-19 cases in Bangladesh could well be the obvious calm before a cataclysmic storm.

Their fears centers around children below 12 who remain out of the vaccine coverage and the elderly people.

These experts fear a slow pace of vaccination, waning vaccine immunity, sheer disregard for Covid-safety protocols, reopening of schools and increased travel may set the stage for another Covid wave in Bangladesh -- a trend many European countries are witnessing now.

No new lockdown

On December 5, Health Minister Zahid Maleque ruled out any further Covid-induced lockdown in the country.

“The covid situation in Bangladesh is under control now and there’s no possibility to enforce any lockdown in the country,” he told reporters in Savar.

Zahid said there is no need to worry about the new coronavirus variant, Omicron, which has no presence in the country.