The overall number of Covid cases has now crossed 546 million amid a rise in new infections in parts of the world. According to the latest global data, the total case count mounted to 546,626,378 while the death toll from the virus reached 6,345,658 Thursday morning. Also read: COVID cases rise in Southeast Asia, Middle East and Europe The US has recorded 88,443,398 cases so far and 1,039,771 people have died from the virus in the country, the data shows. India reported 12,249 new Covid-19 cases, taking the total tally to 43,331,645, according to the federal health ministry data released on Wednesday. Meanwhile, 13 more deaths were reported since Tuesday morning, taking the total toll to 524,903. The number of new coronavirus cases rose in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe last week, while the number of deaths globally dropped by 16%, according to the World Health Organization’s latest weekly pandemic report issued Wednesday, reports AP. The WHO said there were 3.3 million new Covid-19 infections last week, marking a 4% decrease, with more than 7,500 deaths. But cases jumped by about 45% in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, and by about 6% in Europe.  Southeast Asia was the only region to report a slight 4% increase in deaths, while figures fell elsewhere. Globally, the number of new Covid-19 cases has been falling after peaking in January. Covid in Bangladesh Bangladesh registered one Covid-linked death with 1,135 fresh cases in 24 hours till Wednesday morning. This is the third Covid-linked death in the current month. The daily case positivity rate rose to 13.30 percent from Tuesday’s 11.03 percent as 8,552 samples were tested during the period. The country’s total caseload rose to 1,959,209 while the total fatalities reached 29,134 with the new numbers, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Also read: Bangladesh daily Covid cases cross 1000-mark after nearly 4 months, another dies The deceased was a man, aged 51-60, hailing from Sylhet division. The mortality rate remained static at 1.49 percent. The recovery rates declined to 97.29 percent from Tuesday’s 97.34 percent as 122 patients recovered during this period. On Monday, the country logged the first Covid-linked death in the current month with 873 cases. The previous death was recorded on May 30. In May, the country reported only four Covid-linked deaths and 816 new cases, while 7,356 patients recovered from the disease, according to the DGHS. Among the four deaths during the period, one was vaccinated with single dose of a Covid vaccine while three were vaccinated with two doses. The country reported its first zero Covid death in a single day on November 20 last year, along with 178 cases, since the pandemic broke out here in March 2020. On January 28, Bangladesh logged its previous highest positivity rate of 33.37 percent. The country registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year and daily fatalities of 264 on August 10 in the same year.

The healthcare sector has experienced significant challenges resulting from the COVID pandemic. The virus hampered the treatment for patients who needed to fly to India for better treatments and procedures. The situation is gradually beginning to normalize, and foreign travel restrictions have been eased in India. Earlier, due to the pandemic, medical tourism had suffered major setbacks and patients had to postpone their surgeries and other treatments due to travel restrictions. This impacted many lives and made the patient's conditions even worse, increasing the morbidity and mortality risk associated with treatable and preventable health conditions. The delay also contributed to the reported excess deaths indirectly related to COVID-19. Many hospitals after the ease on travelling, have started extending their services to the international patients who wish to seek treatment in India for their medical conditions.  Manipal Hospital is urging patients not to delay any further in their treatments and surgeries. With outstanding equipment, world-class technology and a team of experienced doctors, the hospital is delivering healthcare services to international patients while adhering to strict safety standards. At the same time, the Manipal Overseas Patient Care Centre provides great services for its international patients, such as visas, transportation, insurance, and many others. Despite the pandemic, the hospital has successfully handled cases of critical patients who required kidney, liver, and heart transplants. With international borders opening up, the hospital is now able to use its air ambulance services for patients in different countries. Read:Manipal Hospitals launches the first Radixact System with Synchrony technology in India Mr. Karthik Rajagopal, COO, Manipal Hospital Enterprise, said, "Manipal Hospitals has always believed in making healthcare accessible to everyone. Many patients had to postpone their treatments due to the pandemic, but now that the COVID cases in India have been brought under control and international crossings are opening, we are glad to offer our services to our overseas patients." It is now critical to recognize that delaying both emergency and routine medical care will increase the danger of the underlying diseases worsening and may result in mortality. With the opening of international borders, we can now continue to assist overseas patients who have had their procedures postponed due to the pandemic and travel restrictions. Nothing brings us more joy at Manipal Hospitals than giving our patients a new lease on life, and we encourage our patients not to delay their treatment or surgeries. We are now prepared to maintain the same level of confidence and clinical excellence among international patients, thanks to our amazing team of doctors." The medical tourism industry seems to be getting better as the pandemic subsides and the situation improves, patients are coming for treatments that they had to postpone due to the pandemic. Patients with chronic illnesses and those in need of organ transplants are increasingly traveling to other countries for treatment. For more details please fill up Google form Manipal  Hospital Patient portal (google.com) [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe1p6IUMbj-rMFdiI8Zaggj8lfxYukIDkcj1cQ MlieIOs58NQ/viewform]  Visit us at: www.manipalhospitals.com/internationalpatientcare/  Call: +91-96060-48970 /+91-80564-43037 Source: Manipal Hospitals

As the community transmission of Covid-19 fueled by the highly virulent Omicron variant is going on in full swing across the country, public health experts warned that the uptrend in the virus infection may continue for two more weeks. They also said the Covid positivity rate may hit a plateau in mid-February before a steep decline toward the end of the next month. As per official data, Bangladesh has been witnessing more than 30 percent infection rate for the last few days, but the experts believe the actual rate and number of infections is much higher than the government’s count since a huge number of virus-infected people remain untested. Talking to UNB, public health experts Dr Abu Jamil Faisel, Dr Be-Nazir Ahmed, Dr Mushtuq Hussain, and MH Chowdhury Lenin advised the government to strictly enforce the Covid restrictions alongside forcing people to maintain health safety rules to slow down the transmission of the virus. Read: 175 officials including MD of Barapukuria Coal Mine contract Covid; coal extraction suspended Covid reaching peak Dr Leanin, chairman of the medicine department at the Health and Hope Hospital, said the country is seeing an exponential rise in the number of coronavirus cases, as the current Covid wave is going to reach its peak. He said the declining phase in the third wave of the deadly coronavirus may begin from the third week of February. “The infection rate may decline sharply or slowly depending on how the preventive measures are being enforced,” the expert noted. He said the country can conduct more than two lakh tests by using Rapid antigen kits. “But I don’t know why the number of such tests is still very low. So, many people are remaining out of Covid tests and we’re not getting the real picture of Covid transmission.” “As we get a partial scenario of the Covid situation, our public health experts sometimes fail to give the exact projection,” Lenin observed. Dr Faisel, a member of the Public Health Advisory Committee of Covid-19, said the Covid infections will show the uptrend until the second week of February. “The situation may improve at the end of the coming month.” He, however, said many infected people are not undergoing tests. “So, the actual number of infected people is not reflected in the official count. The official reporting on Covid infection is only the tip of the iceberg. At least one or two lakh people are getting infected daily.” Rural people’s vulnerability  Dr Faisel said the virus transmission will now continue to grow in different districts. “This virus may not leave anyone. It’s a matter of concern that many people in rural areas remain unvaccinated.” He said people in rural areas are little concerned about undergoing Covid tests. “So, we won’t get the real picture of the Covid situation though the community transmission is going on in most districts.” The expert said the situation has now reached such a level that community transmission cannot be stopped. “We should now focus on patient management. We should keep all our district hospitals ready to deal with Covid patients since the majority of people in rural areas still remain unvaccinated.” He said people who still did not receive any dose of the vaccine are very vulnerable to the virus. “So, they should remain very alert. Besides, special attention should be given to the elderly people and those who have comorbidities as the death rate among these people is high.” Restrictions only on papers Dr Mushtuq Hussain, a consultant at the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), said though the Covid cases are growing alarmingly, people are still showing serious apathy to health safety rules. He said the government also seems reluctant about enforcing laws to force people to maintain health protocols. “If it continues, I think, the current wave may linger for a longer period than our projection.”      Dr Faisel said most government restrictions are there only on papers, as there is no visible drive to enforce those properly. “People are still reluctant about wearing masks, avoiding mass gatherings.” He said the government should strictly enforce all the restrictions to slow down Covid transmission. Besides, the expert said, the vaccination drive should be intensified to bring the targeted population under its coverage as soon as possible. Dr Be-Nazir Ahmed, an infectious disease expert, said the government is not serious about controlling the outbreak of the virus. “Though many restrictions have been imposed, everything is going on as usual. “The international trade fair, different elections, all social congregations are going on while shops and markets remain open.” He said though the death rate is very low, every life has its value. “We should make all possible efforts to save lives and keep people protected from the virus infection.” The expert said people should remain very careful for at least three more weeks. “They shouldn’t go outside without any urgent needs and avoid any gathering. “Health safety rules should be followed properly and no one should go outside without wearing masks.” Read: DGHS shortens isolation period for Covid patients to 10 days Another wave may roll in April   Dr Benzair thinks the third wave of Covid may come under control in the middle of March next, but another one to hit the country later. “The government must remain alert as the country may see the surge of the virus during April again. We shouldn’t forget that we saw a serious spike in Covid cases during April over the last two years,” he warned. He said it seems the coronavirus is unlikely to say goodbye anytime soon as more dangerous variants may emerge anytime. “We need to learn how to live with this virus.”

The overall number of Covid cases is fast approaching 358 million, with a spike in cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus across the world. According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 357,954,943 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,614,015 Wednesday morning. The US has recorded 72,171,187 cases so far and 871,934 people have died from the virus in the country, the university data shows. Read: COVID-19 vaccine booster drive is faltering in the US India's Covid-19 tally rose to 39,799,202 on Tuesday, as 255,874 new cases were registered in 24 hours across the country, as per the federal health ministry data. Besides, 614 deaths since Monday morning pushed the total death toll to 490,462. Meanwhile, the country's Omicron tally reached 10,050 Monday. Most of the Omicron cases have been reported from the states of Maharashtra, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Delhi. Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since last January, registered 24,342,322 cases as of Wednesday, while its Covid death toll rose to 624,129. Covid situation in Bangladesh Bangladesh logged 18 more Covid-linked deaths with 16,033 fresh cases in 24 hours till Tuesday morning. The daily positivity rate rose to 32.40% from Monday’s 32.37% after testing 49,697 samples, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The country logged its daily positivity rate of 32.55% on July 24 last year, reporting 6,780 cases and 195 deaths. Read: Symptoms of Omicron: How is it different from Covid-19 Variant Delta? Besides, the country registered the highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year, while the highest number of daily fatalities was 264 on August 10 last year. The fresh numbers took the country’s total fatalities to 28,256 while the caseload mounted to 1,715,997 Tuesday. Among the new deceased, 12 were men and six women. Eight cases were reported in Dhaka division while six in Chattogram, and one each in Sylhet, Rajshahi, Khulna, and Barishal divisions. Meanwhile, the mortality rate further declined to 1.65%. However, the recovery rate also declined to 90.85% with the recovery of 1,095 more patients during the 24-hour period. Bangladesh’s total tally of Omicron cases reached 69 with the detection of five more cases till Sunday, according to GISAID, a global initiative on sharing all influenza data. On December 9 last year, Bangladesh again logged zero Covid-related death after nearly three weeks as the pandemic was apparently showing signs of easing. The country reported last year’s first zero Covid-related death in a single day on November 20 last year, along with 178 infections, since the pandemic broke out in Bangladesh in March 2020.

India reported 264,202 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, as the tally rose to 36,582,129 during the past 24 hours, showed the federal health ministry's latest data. This is the second consecutive day when more than 200,000 daily cases were registered across the country in over eight months. Read: 9 dead in India train accident Besides, 315 deaths due to the pandemic since Thursday morning took the total death toll to 485,350. There are still 1,272,073 active COVID-19 cases in the country with a rise of 154,542 active cases during the past 24 hours. This is the 17th consecutive day when the number of active cases rose in the country. Read:Man tests Covid positive on return from India A total of 34,824,706 people have been cured and discharged from hospitals so far, out of which 109,345 were discharged during the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, the country's Omicron tally has reached 5,753, seeing an increase of 4.83 percent since Thursday. Most of the Omicron cases have been reported from the states of Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Delhi.

Bangladesh reported 2,916 more cases of infections and another four deaths in 24 hours till Wednesday morning with a continuous rise in Covid-19 cases. With the fresh cases reported after testing 24,705 samples, the daily positivity rate kept increasing to 11.68 per cent from Tuesday’s 8.97 per cent during the 24-hour period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Read: Dhaka designated 'red zone' as Covid cases rise The country last logged 3,167 cases on September 3, last year along with 70 deaths in 24 hours while the positivity rate was 10.76 per cent. The fresh numbers took the country’s total fatalities to 28,111 while the caseload mounted to 16, 01,305 on Wednesday. Among the new deceased, two were men and two women while three of the deaths were reported from Dhaka division and another from Chattogram. The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.76 per cent during the period.

Health authorities have designated Dhaka and Rangamati as ‘red zones’, following an exponential rise in Covid infections in the two districts. The infection rate in Dhaka and Rangamati is 10-19%, according to the Directorate General of Health Services. Besides, six districts, including Jashore, have been marked as ‘yellow zones’ or at "mid-level risk". The five other districts are Rajshahi, Rangpur, Natore, Lalmonirhat and Dinajpur. The infection rate in these districts is between 5% and 9%, the directorate said on Wednesday. On the other hand, 54 districts have been marked as 'green zones' while the sample test rate of Panchagarh and Bandarban districts are poor. The districts under green zones are Chattogram, Bogura, Gazipur, Cox’s Bazar, Kushtia, Nilphamari, Barguna, Sherpur, Meherpur, Thakurgaon, Feni, Sirajganj, Jamalpur, Pirojpur, Bagerhat, Narayanganj, Naogaon, Jhalakathi, Khulna, Patuakhali, Kurigram, Joypurhat, Faridpur and Barishal. Read: Global Covid cases surpass 313 million Chuadanga, Manikganj, Chandpur, Laxmipur, Mymensingh, Rajbari, Sylhet, Satkhira, Gopalganj, Moulvibazar, Noakhali, Kishoreganj, Gaibandha, Shariatpur, Munshiganj, Narsingdi, Khagrachhari, Jhenaidah, Pabna, Madaripur, Magura, Sunamganj, Chapainawabganj, Cumilla, Netrakona, Bhola, Tangail, Habiganj, Brahmanbaria and Narail are the other districts. DGHS has, in fact, divided the districts of the country as red, yellow and green zones, considering the infection rate of Covid. On Monday, the government imposed restrictions on public movement and other activities like operations of public transport vehicles at half their capacities amid the growing concern over the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus. The restrictions will be effective January 13 until further notice. Covid situation in Bangladesh Bangladesh is seeing a continuous rise in Covid-19 cases as 2,458 more infections along with two more deaths were reported in 24 hours till Tuesday morning.

Bangladesh is seeing a continuous rise in Covid-19 cases as 2,458 more infections along with two more deaths were reported in 24 hours till Tuesday morning. With the fresh cases reported after testing 27,709 samples, the daily positivity rate jumped again to 8.97 per cent from Monday’s 8.53 per cent during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Read:BNP leader Fakhrul, wife contract Covid The country last logged 2,588 cases on September 9, last year along with 58 deaths in 24 hours. Bangladesh is currently seeing a surge of Covid-19 cases as health authorities logged 10,392 infections in the last 10 days since January 1. The fresh numbers took the country’s total fatalities to 28,107 while the caseload mounted to 15, 98, 389 on Tuesday. The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.76 per cent during the period. The recovery rate kept declining to 97.06 per cent with the recovery of 274 more patients during the 24-hour period. Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s total tally of Omicron cases reached 30 with detection of nine more cases on Monday, according to GISAID, a global initiative on sharing all influenza data. On December 9 last year, Bangladesh again logged zero Covid-related death after nearly three weeks as the pandemic was apparently showing signs of easing. Read: Harsh restrictions back in Bangladesh as Covid situation worsens The country reported this year’s first zero Covid-related death in a single day on November 20 last year along with 178 infections since the pandemic broke out in Bangladesh in March 2020. Bangladesh logged the highest number of daily fatalities of 264 on August 10 last year, while the highest daily caseload was 16,230 on July 28 last year. Covid Restriction On Monday, the government has imposed restrictions on public movement and other activities like operating public transport at their half capacities as well as ensuring safety protocols after observing the outbreak of Omicron variant of Coronavirus and the overall Covid situation in the country. This restriction will take effect on January 13 and will remain in force until further notice.

Bangladesh Railway has decided to operate trains at half of their capacities from January 15 (Saturday) in an effort to ensure social distancing during train journeys as Covid-19 cases are on the rise in the country. The Bangladesh Railway also brought some changes in issuing and booking tickets. Read:Harsh restrictions back in Bangladesh as Covid situation worsens The changes are: · Issuance of tickets for inter-city trains at half of their capacities for ensuring social distancing · 25% tickets of the total seats will be issued from ticket counters while the rest 25% through online · Issuance of standing tickets from platforms will remain suspended · All the existing quotas for railway staff except the emergency ones will remain suspended until further notice · Ensuring the use of masks by all passengers while issuing tickets and travelling · Catering services and supplying of bedding services will continue subject to following health guidelines strictly. Read: Covid cases in Bangladesh mark a sharp rise by 115% in one week: DGHS On Monday, the government has imposed restrictions on public movement and other activities like operating public transport at their half capacities amid the growing concern over the new Omicron variant of Coronavirus. The Cabinet Division issued the notification on Monday which will take effect on January 13 and will remain in force until further notice.

The Covid-19 situation keeps worsening in Bangladesh with health authorities logging three more deaths and 1,491 new infections in 24 hours till Sunday morning. With the detection of fresh cases after testing 21,980 samples, the daily-case positivity rate jumped to 6.78 percent from Saturday’s 5.79 per cent during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The country last recorded 1,562 cases on September 21, last year with a death toll of 26. Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh logs 1,116 more cases, 1 death