Covid patients
Khulna Corona Hospital scrambles for space as Covid patients soar
The authorities of Khulna Dedicated Corona Hospital have been scrambling to treat Covid-19 patents due to bed constraints as the number of patients continues to rise.
According to hospital sources, in the past 24 hours, 50 new patients were admitted to the hospital while 47 returned home after recovery.
Read: 10 Covid patients die in Khulna division
The 100-bed hospital has been providing treatment to 130 patients with its limited staff and resources.
Medical Officer of Khulna Civil Surgeon's Office Dr. Sheikh Sadia Monowara Usha said the positivity rate is 29 percent in Khulna.
Khulna Covid Hospital Focal Person Dr. Suhas Ranjan Haldar said that the hospital is overcrowded. “We are being forced to keep patients on floor. It is not possible to admit new patients if admitted ones are not discharged,” he said.
Read: In Khulna, a scramble for Covid hospital beds
Khulna Medical College Hospital principal Dr. Mehdi Newaz said doctors and health workers are struggling to handle such a huge number of patients.
10 Covid patients die in Khulna division
As many as 10 Covid patients have died in the past 24 hours in Khulna division, a top health official said on Thursday.
During the period, some 557 people have tested positive for Covid-19, according to the Director of Health Services Division, Khulna.
According to the Khulna Division Directorate General of Health Services, two people died in Khulna district, four in Bagerhat, two in Kushita and one in Jashore district.
Dr Suhash Ranjan Haldar, nodal person for corona unit, said nine people have died at Khulna Corona Hospital since June 1, while 130 patients are currently undergoing treatment at the hospital.
Of them, 62 people are getting treatment in the red zone of the hospital, 29 in the yellow zone, 18 in ICU (intensive care unit), and 21 in HDU (high deficiency unit), he said.
Dr Sheikh Sadia Monwara Usha, medical officer at Khulna Civil Surgeon's Office, said that 80 people have been found infected in Khulna district after testing 331 samples in the past 24 hours, while three people have died from the virus. The infection rate in the district is 24 percent.
In Khulna division, the first case of Covid-19 was detected in Chuadanga on March 19, 2020.
Read:In Khulna, a scramble for Covid hospital beds
So far, 37,512 people have been found infected with the virus in 10 districts of the division, while the death toll from the virus mounted to 690. A total of 32,419 people have recovered from the virus to date.
According to the health authorities, Khulna district is one of the worst-hit in terms of cases and deaths in the division, as a total of 10,979 people have been found infected with Covid-19 to date. And 191 people have died so far from the virus in the district.
Bagerhat has so far recorded 1,918 Covid cases and 51 deaths. Some 1,462 people have recovered from the virus.
Similarly, Satkhira has recorded 2,109 cases and 48 deaths to date, while 1,500 people have recovered from the virus.
Jashore has so far recorded 7,699 Covid cases and 84 deaths. Narail has logged 1,956 cases with 27 fatalities.
In Magura, 1,292 people have been found infected with the virus and 23 people have died so far.
Read: Weeklong strict restrictions imposed in Khulna
In Jhenaidah, the number of Covid-19 cases in the district has touched 3,010. Some 57 people have died so far.
In Kishtia, about 5,321 people have been found infected with the virus while 122 people have died to date.
Bangladesh ill-equipped to cope with Delta variant of Covid: Experts
As the highly contagious Delta variant of Covid-19 has made its way into Dhaka and other districts from frontier ones, experts fear an impending health catastrophe in the coming weeks since there is no strict measure in place to stop it.
They said half-hearted preventive measures, lack of seriousness of local administrations, reopening of intra-district transport services and people’s apathy to maintain health safety guidelines are the major reasons behind the worsening Covid situation in the country.
The Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research has recently found 80 percent of a randomly selected sample of 50 Covid patients infected with the Delta variant.
It also said the deadly variant has spread to parts of central Bangladesh, including the capital, while seven workers of Ashrayan Project in Nawabganj upazila of Dhaka have been detected with the same virus strain.
The sudden spike in virus cases has put a severe strain on four major hospitals ---Rajshahi Medical College, Khulna Medical College, Chapainawabganj and Kushtia General Hospital--with increasing patients from 11 nearby districts.
Also read: IEDCR study of 50 samples finds 40 are Delta
Experts said the government should immediately increase the number of beds, doctors and nurses and treatment facilities, in these hospitals to cope with the pressure of Covid patients.
The virus infection has been showing an upward trend in Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Dinajpur, Joypurhat, Naogaon, Kushtia, Jashore, Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Natore, Noakhali and Cox's Bazar districts for several days.
icddr,b donates essential medical supplies to DMCH for treating critically ill COVID patients
The icddr,b handed over essential supplies containing medical equipment and medicine to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) for the treatment of critical COVID-19 patients on Wednesday.
This is part of a grant agreement between icddr,b and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to strengthen icddr,b Dhaka Hospital’s capacity to provide COVID-19 treatment to its staff, and also supporting a healthcare facility serving underprivileged people in Dhaka city.
The medical supplies comprised of three units of High Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC), 20 units of HFNC accessories, three units of patient monitor, 170 vials of broad-spectrum antiviral medication Remdesivir, and 100 vials of anticoagulant injection, all of which are aimed at reinforcing DMCH’s COVID-19 response.
The handover ceremony took place at DMCH and was attended by icddr,b’s Head, Hospitals Dr Baharul Alam and Brigadier General Md Nazmul Haque, Director, DMCH.
Dr Alam said, “The coronavirus pandemic has led to strained healthcare systems not only in Bangladesh but around the world. Many thanks to the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation for extending their support in strengthening our capacities in treating more patients with quality care.
“I am also thankful to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for the support it provides by treating referral patients requiring multidisciplinary care sent from icddr,b Dhaka Hospital,” he added.
Brig Gen Haque said, “icddr,b and Dhaka Medical College Hospital have close cooperation in relation to patient care. We are grateful for the generosity of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and icddr,b for their support of live-saving equipment and medicines. These will certainly boost our treatment effort by many folds.”
Dr Alauddin Al-Azad, Deputy Director, Dr Md Khalequzzaman Khan, Deputy Director, Dr Md Ashraful Alam, Assistant Director, Dr Halima Sultana Haque, Assistant Director, Dr Ashrafun Nahar, Assistant Director, Dr Md Saad Ullah, Senior Store Officer of Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Shihab Uddin Ahmed, Senior Manager, Hospital, of icddr,b were also present at the handover ceremony.
Chattogram seroprevalence study: 90% of patients who tested positive have antibodies after 6 months
A seroprevalence study in Chattogram has shown the presence of anti-coronavirus antibodies in 65% of Covid-19 patients in Chattogram.
The study enrolled both those who tested positive for the virus, and those who tested negative but were treated as Covid patients based on symptoms, and observed them over a 6-month period.
The antibodies were found in about 90 percent of those who tested positive for the virus in an RT-PCR test, and 26% of RT-PCR negative patients.
Physicians at Chittagong General Hospital conducted the research on 1530 people (989 who tested positive, and 541 who tested negative)from October 2020 to April 2021 to investigate the presence and persistence of antibodies produced by the body as an immune response to Covid-19.
Also read: Bangladesh detects first case of Indian Coronavirus strain
The objectives of the study apart from finding the presence of antibodies were to gather information on the socio-economic status of the patients, what symptoms were present in them at the time of infection and whether there were any long-term complications after recovering from Covid.
Although participants of the research were selected on random basis, majority of them were male (75%) and employed (60%).
Their main symptoms after contracting Covid-19 were fever (92 percent), cough (63 percent), and loss of sense of smell (52 percent). Symptoms such as sore throat, headache, diarrhoea, shortness of breath, etc. have also been observed.
Many of the affected people were already suffering from chronic diseases like diabetes (15 percent), high blood pressure (23 percent), respiratory complications (9 percent) and heart disease. After recovering from Covid, about 57 percent of them had long-term symptoms including physical weakness, pain, anxiety, fatigue, cough, hair loss, etc.
Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh sees 45 more deaths with 1285 new cases
Dr. Md. Abdur Rob, the head of the research team, said, “We have been treating Covid patients for a long time. This study is very timely in order to know more about Covid-19 in more detail about patients' symptoms, long-term complications after recovery and the presence of antibodies."
Dr. Mohammad Asif Khan, Coordinator of the research work, said that there is no alternative to such research to improve the medical science in the reality of our country as directed by the Hon'ble Prime Minister.
"This is the first example of a district-level hospital conducting research on its own initiative. We hope that this initiative will encourage self-managed research in the medical field," he said.
In light of the data collected, Dr. HM Hamidullah Mehdi said that one of the successes of this study is that a large number of infected patients have been included in it and the data has been collected through direct interviews and tests. The results of the study will make the government's ongoing COVID-19 vaccination program more acceptable and dynamic.
Also read: Indian Covid Strain: Two more cases identified in Jessore
Dr. MA Kabir Chowdhury, who is in charge of data and data analysis, said that while analyzing the data collected in the study, they have found some important information, such as the presence of antibodies in the body of RT-PCR positive patients for more than 6 months.
The findings were presented today at the conference room of the Chattogram General Hospital.
Barrister Mahibul Hasan Chowdhury Nawfel, Deputy Minister for Education and Chairman of the Management Committee of the 250-bed Chattogram General Hospital was the chief guest on the occasion.
He said the 250-bed Anderkilla General Hospital in Chittagong was the first and only place of recourse for Covid-19 patients in Chittagong after the corona virus entered the country. Initially, the hospital was in dire need of medical equipment for the treatment of patients suffering from covid, but now it is fully capable.
Doctors in Nepal warn of major crisis as virus cases surge
Across the border from a devastating surge in India, doctors in Nepal warned Friday of a major crisis as daily coronavirus cases hit a record and hospitals were running out of beds and oxygen.
Nepal reported 9,070 new confirmed cases on Thursday, compared to 298 a month ago. The number of fatalities also reached its highest with 58 on Wednesday and 54 on Thursday, for a total of 3,529.
“Right now there are no beds available today in any hospital that is treating COVID patients,” said Dr. Jyotindra Sharma, chief of Hospital for Advanced Medicine & Surgery in Kathmandu. “Even if any beds were made available, there is a huge scarcity of oxygen and we are not at the peak of this crisis.”
At the hospital, one of the leading facilities in Nepal for treating COVID-19 patients, extra beds were crammed to accommodate more people. They’ve all been taken and the only way to get admitted is through a waiting list.
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“In the extreme situation, people could be dying in the streets,” Sharma said, adding it’s “just not possible to immediately increase the capacity of the hospitals.”
At the government-run Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, several COVID-19 patients were lying in beds set up on the veranda and hooked to oxygen cylinder. They’re the lucky ones. Others were turned away because there’s not enough space or equipment.
“We are under-prepared, under-resourced, and under-capacitated to perform any thing that is expected,” said Dr. Bishal Dhakal, who has been working with coronavirus patients since the beginning of the pandemic.
A lockdown was imposed last month in major cities and towns, and Nepal this week stopped both domestic and international flights.
The government has pledged several times to increase the number of hospital beds and boost the treatment and preventive measures. However, there has not been any significant change.
Nepal began its vaccination campaign in January with 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca shots donated by India, but it had been suspended because of India’s refusal to allow exports as its crisis worsened.
The vaccination resumed when China donated 800,000 doses, and Nepal is negotiating with Russia for supplies of the Sputnik V shots.
8,873 general, 565 ICU beds available for Covid patients
While the country witnesses a continuous upsurge in coronavirus cases, 8,873 general and 565 ICU beds are available across the eight divisions for Covid-19 patients.
Health Ministry on Sunday said in a press release that as many Covid patients have left the hospital after recovery, these beds are now unoccupied.
From the data provided by the hospitals in eight districts, the total Covid-dedicated number of beds in the country is now 12,347 and the number of ICU beds is 1,092.
Also read: DNCC Market Hospital to get 200 new ICU beds: Health Minister
In hospitals of Dhaka city, 3,799, beds are unoccupied of the 5,626 general beds.
Of the total 773 ICU beds, 420 are available now in the city.
Country’s recovery rate 90%
So far, 687,328 people have recovered, including 2,657 in the last 24 hours, according to DGHS.
Also read: Covid-19 surge lays bare another crisis: Scant ICU beds and specialists
This projects a 90.21 percent recovery among the patients.
12 die as Delhi hospital runs out of oxygen
The oxygen crisis in the Indian capital is escalating with each passing day. A week after 50 patients on ventilator died at two private hospitals in Delhi due to "low pressure oxygen", 12 more people lost their lives at another leading medical facility in the national capital on Saturday after it ran out of the life-saving gas.
Batra Hospital said the Covid care facility ran out of oxygen at 11.45am. "Supply came at 1.30pm (a second tanker reached at around 4pm). But we were out of oxygen for 1 hour and 20 mins. By the time supplies came, 12 people, including a doctor, were dead. Most of them were Covid patients on life support," the hospital said in a statement.
The deceased doctor has been identified as RK Himthani, the head of the hospital's gastroenterology unit. "He was also a Covid patient undergoing treatment at the hospital. Over 200 patients at the medical facility are still in a critical condition," a spokesperson for Batra told the media.
Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia took to Twitter to express his anguish at the loss of lives. "The central government) Friday told the Supreme Court that some 10,000 MT oxygen is produced daily in the country, which is quite surplus to the daily needs of 7500MT. Delhi needs 976MT, yet Delhi's quota is 490MT and supplies only 312MT. Why?"
Also read: 25 die in Delhi hospital due to oxygen shortage
India's main opposition Congress party's chief Sonia Gandhi too lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government for the deteriorating Covid-19 situation in the country.
In a video message, the 74-year-old called for a nationwide strategy to fight the surge in Covid cases in India. "Testing should be increased across the country and medical oxygen and other resources should be arranged on war footing. Free vaccination should be arranged for all the citizens so that people can be saved," she said.
"It's high time that the federal and state governments wake up and fulfil their responsibilities. Migration of the labourers should be stopped. A minimum of Rs 6,000 should be added to their accounts till the crisis is over," Gandhi said in the video message shared by the Congress on the party's official Twitter handle.
Gandhi's call for a nationwide strategy and the 12 deaths at the Delhi hospital came on a day when India registered a record four lakh cases in a span of 24 hours, for the first time after reporting over three lakh daily infections for nine days in a row. Delhi alone has been logging nearly 20,000-25,000 Covid cases daily for the past fortnight.
Also read: Indian capital gasps for oxygen
In the past one week, at least 50 Covid patients on life support have died at two leading Delhi hospitals due to oxygen shortage. On April 24, Jaipur Golden Hospital, a dedicated Covid medical facility in Delhi, announced the death of 25 Covid patients in 24 hours due to "low-supply oxygen" to critical patients on ventilator.
A day before, another leading hospital in Delhi also said in a statement that 25 patients lost their lives in 24 hours due to an acute shortage of oxygen. "25 sickest patients have died in the last 24 hours. Oxygen will last another two hours. Major crisis likely. Lives of 60 sickest patients at risk, need urgent intervention," Sir Ganga Ram Hospital had said.
It may also be mentioned here that as many as 24 Covid patients on ventilator at a government hospital in the western state of Maharashtra died some 10 days ago after their oxygen supply ran out following leakage of the life-supporting gas from a tanker. The tanker was brought to Zakir Hussain Municipal Hospital in Nashik district to replenish the cylinders.
Bangladesh set to go under complete lockdown from Apr 14; notification Sunday
As the spread of Coronavirus has sparked alarm across the country, the government is set to issue a notification on Saturday over enforcing a fresh nationwide lockdown from April 14 in its desperate bid to stop the spread of the deadly virus.
A fresh lockdown is coming with tougher measures as the virus keeps spreading fast in the country, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain said while talking to UNB about the lockdown notification.
“The country saw the highest death from Covid-19 today. The situation will get out of hand if we don’t take tougher measures. So, we’ve decided to go for an all-out lockdown from April 14,” he said.
Also read: Bangladesh again breaks daily Covid death record with 77
Replying to a question whether there would be any restriction for April 12 and 13 after the ongoing 7-day lockdown tomorrow (Sunday), the state minister said there would be directives regarding these two days in tomorrow’s (Sunday’s) notification.
Everything except emergency services will be closed this time, said Farhad Hossain adding, “Garment factories, transport movement and all the offices except those of emergency services will remain shut.”
Worsening Covid crisis: Bangladesh resorting to full lockdown
The government is adopting extreme measures to tackle the growing covid infections as people are still reluctant to adhere to health guidelines, putting themselves and others at risk.
“Everything except emergency services will remain shut from April 14. A complete lockdown is coming from April 14 to 20 April,” State Minister of Public Administration Farhad Hossain told UNB on Friday.
Covid infections rose sharply this year in Bangladesh after a dip, prompting the government to issue an 18-point directive for people. But that did not work, forcing the government to go for a seven-day lockdown. People moved on as usual and businesses protested against the lockdown, forcing the government to permit operation of businesses and public transport partially.
Also read: Govt considering complete lockdown from April 14: Quader