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Dengue: 4 more patients hospitalised in 24 hrs
Four more dengue patients were hospitalised in 24 hours till Wednesday morning, health authorities said.
The death toll from dengue fever remained unchanged at 105 as no new death was reported during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
It said 95 people died in Dhaka division alone, four in Mymensingh, two each in Chattogram, and Khulna and one each in Rajshahi and Barishal divisions.
READ: Dengue: 4 more patients hospitalised in 24 hrs
Among the new patients, two are undergoing treatment at hospitals in Dhaka and the two other cases have been reported from outside the division.
Some 48 patients who were diagnosed with dengue are receiving treatment in the country as of Wednesday.
READ: Dengue: 29 more patients hospitalised in 24 hrs
Of them, 30 are receiving treatment at different hospitals in the capital while remaining 18 were listed outside Dhaka.
This year, some 52 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with Dengue so far and four of them left hospital after recovery, said the DGHS.
Global Covid cases surpass 279 million
Amid the global scare over new Covid-19 strain Omicron, the overall number of coronavirus cases has crossed 279 million.
According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 279,454,919 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,396,454 on Sunday morning.
The US has recorded 52,092,894 cases so far and more than 816,463 people have died from the virus in the country, the university data shows.
READ: Global Covid cases near 279 million with two years of trauma
Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since January, registered 22,238,369 cases as of Saturday and its Covid death toll rose to 618,686.
The cases of Omicron in India has increased to 437 till Saturday.
India's Covid-19 tally rose to 34,779,851 on Saturday, as 7,189 new cases were registered in 24 hours across the country, as per the federal health ministry data.
Besides, 387 deaths from the virus took the total death toll to 479,520.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh logged one more Covid-linked death with 275 fresh infections in 24 hours till Saturday morning.
With the detection of the fresh cases after testing 13, 699 samples, the daily case positivity rate declined slightly to 2.01 per cent from Friday’s 2.02 per cent during the period, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The country on Friday reported one Covid-linked death and 342 fresh cases.
Though the deaths remained below five since December 13, the daily cases remained mostly over 250, according to data provided by the DGHS.
The fresh numbers reported on Saturday took the country’s total fatalities to 28,056 while the caseload mounted to 15,82,985.
READ: Global Covid cases surpass 278 million
Meanwhile, the mortality rate remained static at 1.77 per cent during the period.
Besides, the recovery rate remained static at 97.74 per cent with the recovery of 224 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.
Global Covid cases top 274mn as Omicron set to trigger a huge wave
Amid a global scare over Omicron, the new strain of Covid-19, the overall number of coronavirus cases has surged past 274 million.According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 274,184,518 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,349,691 till Sunday morning.The US has recorded 50,772,786 cases to date and more than 806,265 people have died so far from the virus in the country, as per the university data.
READ: Global Covid cases top 273 million
Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since January, registered 22,204,941 cases as of Friday, while its Covid death toll rose to 617,395.India's Covid-19 tally rose to 34,740,275 on Sunday and deaths from the pandemic since Saturday morning took the total death toll to 477,422. Till Saturday, 126 cases of the Omicron variant were reported in India.Situation in BangladeshBangladesh’s Covid-19 daily case positivity rate dropped to 0.87 per cent with the logging of 122 fresh cases and 4 more deaths in 24 hours till Saturday morning.On Friday, the daily-case positivity rate stood at 1.17 per cent registering 191 new cases.The total fatalities rose to 28,047 while the caseload mounted to 15,80, 872 with the fresh ones, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).Three of the latest fatalities were men and another was a woman.Meanwhile, the mortality rate remained static at 1.77 per cent during the period.The fresh cases were detected after testing 13,971 samples, said the DGHS.Besides, the recovery rate increased a bit to 97.76 per cent with the recovery of 144 more patients during the 24-hour period.
READ: Global Covid cases near 273 million
On December 9, Bangladesh again logged zero Covid-related death after nearly three weeks as the pandemic is apparently showing signs of easing.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.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.So far, 15,45, 403 Covid-19 infected people have recovered.Booster dose in BangladeshCovid-19 booster doses will be administered to health workers on trial basis from Sunday, said Dr Abu Hossain Md Mainul Ahsan, the Civil Surgeon of Dhaka district.“Initially, the booster doses will be administered on a low scale as a caution. After observing the effects of the vaccine for a few days, it’ll be rolled out for others,” Dr Mainul Ahsan told journalists on Saturday in a virtual briefing.Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Saturday said the booster doses will be rolled out from the Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons (BCPS) at city’s Mohakhali from Sunday morning.Dr Mainul Ahsan said, “Following the health minister’s directive, we’re ready to start administering the shots from tomorrow. There’ll be no shortage of jabs.”Dr Ahsan went on saying, “Initially, doctors, nurses and health workers will get the doses, and senior citizens will get it in the next phase, keeping their comorbidities in mind.” said the Civil Surgeon.He said the announcement to administer the Covid-19 booster dose depends on the capability and the vaccine supply.As the country’s vaccine supply reached the maximum level, Dr Ahsan said, the government has now decided to administer a third booster dose followed by the first and second ones.
Global Covid cases cross 269 mln amid scare over Omnicorn strain
Amid a global scare over Omnicorn, a new strain of Covid-19, the overall number of coronavirus cases has surged past 269 million.
According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 269,693,236 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,301,185 till Sunday morning.
The US has recorded 49,884,587 cases to date and more than 797,179 people have died so far from the virus in the country, as per the university data.
Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since January, registered 22,177,059 cases as of Friday, while its Covid death toll rose to 616,457.
India's Covid-19 tally rose to 34,682,736 on Friday as 7,990 new cases were registered in 24 hours across the country, as per the federal health ministry data.
Besides, as many as 393 deaths due to the pandemic were reported since Friday morning, taking the total death toll to 475,128.
READ: Global Covid cases top 269 million
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh reported five more Covid-related deaths along with 177 fresh cases in 24 hours till Saturday morning amid the entry of its new variant, Omicron.
Bangladesh on Saturday reported the first two cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus.
With the latest cases, the daily-case positivity rate declined to 1.13 per cent from Friday’s 1.34 per cent, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The total fatalities mounted to 28,022 while the caseload mounted to 15,78, 996, with the number of fresh cases.
READ: Global Covid cases top 268 million
Meanwhile, the mortality rate remained static at 1.77 per cent during the period.
On Thursday, Bangladesh again logged zero Covid-related death after nearly three weeks as the pandemic is apparently showing signs of easing.
Global Covid cases near 261 million amid Omicron concerns
The overall global number of Covid cases is fast approaching 261 million as the new potentially more contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus popped up in more European countries.
According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 261,026,727 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,194,353 Sunday morning.
The US has recorded 48,201,840 cases to date and more than 776, 571 people have died so far from the virus in the country, as per the university data.
Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since January, has registered 22,076,863 cases so far, while its Covid death toll rose to 614,186.
India's Covid-19 tally rose to 34,563,749 on Saturday, as 8,318 new cases were registered in 24 hours across the country, as per the federal health ministry data.
Besides, another 465 deaths due to the pandemic were reported since Saturday morning, taking the total death toll to 467,933.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh reported two more Covid-linked deaths along with 155 fresh cases in 24 hours till Saturday morning.
On Friday, the country registered two Covid-related deaths and 239 cases.
With this, the daily-case positivity rate increased to 1.15 per cent from Friday’s 1.49 per cent, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
With the fresh numbers, the total fatalities rose to 27,975 while the caseload mounted to 15,75,579.
Among the latest deceased, one was a woman and another man -- both were from Dhaka division.
However, the mortality rate remained static at 1.78 per cent.
READ: Global Covid cases near 261 million
The fresh cases were detected after testing 13,462 samples, the DGHS added.
Besides, the recovery rate stood at 97.74 per cent with the recovery of 188 more patients during the 24-hour period.
On November 20, Bangladesh logged this year’s first zero Covid-linked deaths with 178 cases.
Public health experts have, however, warned that the current downward trend of Covid-19 cases in Bangladesh could well be the obvious calm before a cataclysmic storm.
Their fear centres around children below 12 who remain out of the vaccine coverage and the elderly people, according to the experts.
READ: Global Covid cases near 260 million
The 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.
Dengue: Another 163 people hospitalised, no new death
Bangladesh reported 163 new dengue patients being hospitalized in 24 hours till Wednesday morning. No new death was reported during this period.
Among the new patients, 131 are undergoing treatment in hospitals in Dhaka while the remaining 32 cases were reported from outside the division, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
READ: Dengue claims one more and infect another 106 people
As of Wednesday a total of 649 patients diagnosed with dengue are being treated in hospital across the country. Of them, 537 patients are in capital Dhaka, while the remaining 112 were in hospitals outside Dhaka.
So far this year dengue has claimed 96 lives, according to the DGHS.
READ: Dengue cases keep rising: 127 more hospitalised
Bangladesh records single Covid-linked death in 24 hrs
Bangladesh logged just a single Covid-related death in 24 hours till Saturday morning, the lowest in nearly 18 months.
During the period, the country also registered 154 fresh cases, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Bangladesh reported its first death from Covid-19 on March 18, 2020.
The person who died during the period was a man.
The fresh numbers took the total fatality to 27,891 while the country’s caseload mounted to 1,570,835.
READ: Are COVID-19 boosters the same as the original vaccines?
Meanwhile, the daily-case positivity rate slightly increased to 1.18 per cent from Friday’s 1.12 per cent.
However, the mortality rate remained static at 1.78 per cent.
The fresh cases were detected after testing 13, 072 samples, said the DGHS.
Also, the recovery rate remained unchanged at 97.70 per cent with the recovery of 157 more patients during the period.
So far, 30,521, 391people have fully been vaccinated in the country while 43,356,273 received the first dose as of Friday, according to the DGHS.
Meanwhile, the campaign to vaccinate the school students of the 12-17 age group began in Dhaka on Monday.
READ: US gives final clearance to COVID-19 shots for kids 5 to 11
The vaccination campaign will be conducted at eight centres in the capital although it was scheduled to begin at 12 centres in the city. Other centres did not get approval due to lack of adequate facilities.
COVID-19′s global death toll tops 5 million in under 2 years
The global death toll from COVID-19 topped 5 million on Monday, less than two years into a crisis that has not only devastated poor countries but also humbled wealthy ones with first-rate health care systems.
Together, the United States, the European Union, Britain and Brazil — all upper-middle- or high-income countries — account for one-eighth of the world’s population but nearly half of all reported deaths. The U.S. alone has recorded over 745,000 lives lost, more than any other nation.
“This is a defining moment in our lifetime,” said Dr. Albert Ko, an infectious disease specialist at the Yale School of Public Health. “What do we have to do to protect ourselves so we don’t get to another 5 million?”
The death toll, as tallied by Johns Hopkins University, is about equal to the populations of Los Angeles and San Francisco combined. It rivals the number of people killed in battles among nations since 1950, according to estimates from the Peace Research Institute Oslo. Globally, COVID-19 is now the third leading cause of death, after heart disease and stroke.
The staggering figure is almost certainly an undercount because of limited testing and people dying at home without medical attention, especially in poor parts of the world, such as India.
“What’s uniquely different about this pandemic is it hit hardest the high-resource countries,” said Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr, director of ICAP, a global health center at Columbia University. “That’s the irony of COVID-19.”
Wealthier nations with longer life expectancies have larger proportions of older people, cancer survivors and nursing home residents, all of whom are especially vulnerable to COVID-19, El-Sadr noted. Poorer countries tend to have larger shares of children, teens and young adults, who are less likely to fall seriously ill from the coronavirus.
India, despite its terrifying delta surge that peaked in early May, now has a much lower reported daily death rate than wealthier Russia, the U.S. or Britain, though there is uncertainty around its figures.
The seeming disconnect between wealth and health is a paradox that disease experts will be pondering for years. But the pattern that is seen on the grand scale, when nations are compared, is different when examined at closer range. Within each wealthy country, when deaths and infections are mapped, poorer neighborhoods are hit hardest.
In the U.S., for example, COVID-19 has taken an outsize toll on Black and Hispanic people, who are more likely than white people to live in poverty and have less access to health care.
“When we get out our microscopes, we see that within countries, the most vulnerable have suffered most,” Ko said.
Wealth has also played a role in the global vaccination drive, with rich countries accused of locking up supplies. The U.S. and others are already dispensing booster shots at a time when millions across Africa haven’t received a single dose, though the rich countries are also shipping hundreds of millions of shots to the rest of the world.
Africa remains the world’s least vaccinated region, with just 5% of the population of 1.3 billion people fully covered.
“This devastating milestone reminds us that we are failing much of the world,” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said in a written statement. “This is a global shame.”
In Kampala, Uganda, Cissy Kagaba lost her 62-year-old mother on Christmas Day and her 76-year-old father days later.
“Christmas will never be the same for me,” said Kagaba, an anti-corruption activist in the East African country that has been through multiple lockdowns against the virus and where a curfew remains in place.
The pandemic has united the globe in grief and pushed survivors to the breaking point.
“Who else is there now? The responsibility is on me. COVID has changed my life,” said 32-year-old Reena Kesarwani, a mother of two boys, who was left to manage her late husband’s modest hardware store in a village in India.
Her husband, Anand Babu Kesarwani, died at 38 during India’s crushing coronavirus surge earlier this year. It overwhelmed one of the most chronically underfunded public health systems in the world and killed tens of thousands as hospitals ran out of oxygen and medicine.
In Bergamo, Italy, once the site of the West’s first deadly wave, 51-year-old Fabrizio Fidanza was deprived of a final farewell as his 86-year-old father lay dying in the hospital. He is still trying to come to terms with the loss more than a year later.
“For the last month, I never saw him,” Fidanza said during a visit to his father’s grave. “It was the worst moment. But coming here every week, helps me.”
Today, 92% of Bergamo’s eligible population have had at least one shot, the highest vaccination rate in Italy. The chief of medicine at Pope John XXIII Hospital, Dr. Stefano Fagiuoli, said he believes that’s a clear result of the city’s collective trauma, when the wail of ambulances was constant.
In Lake City, Florida, LaTasha Graham, 38, still gets mail almost daily for her 17-year-old daughter, Jo’Keria, who died of COVID-19 in August, days before starting her senior year of high school. The teen, who was buried in her cap and gown, wanted to be a trauma surgeon.
“I know that she would have made it. I know that she would have been where she wanted to go,” her mother said.
In Rio de Janeiro, Erika Machado scanned the list of names engraved on a long, undulating sculpture of oxidized steel that stands in Penitencia cemetery as an homage to some of Brazil’s COVID-19 victims. Then she found him: Wagner Machado, her father.
“My dad was the love of my life, my best friend,” said Machado, 40, a saleswoman who traveled from Sao Paulo to see her father’s name. “He was everything to me.”
Global Covid cases top 244 million
The overall number of global Covid cases has now crossed 244 million as the race to vaccinate masses continue the world over.
The global Covid death toll and the total case count stand at 4,962,875 and 244,445,680 respectively, as of Wednesday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
The US has logged 45,608,962 cases and 738,877 deaths to date, according to the university data. The death toll in the United States is the highest in the world.
Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since January, registered 21,748,984 cases as of Wednesday, while its Covid death toll has risen to 606,246.
READ: Global Covid cases top 244 million
India's Covid-19 tally rose to 34,202,202 on Tuesday, as 12,428 new cases were registered in 24 hours across the country, as per the federal health ministry data.
Besides, as many as 356 deaths due to the pandemic were reported since Sunday morning, taking the total death toll to 455,068.
Most deaths, 482, were reported from the southern state of Kerala. "More than 70 percent cases (deaths) are due to comorbidities," said the federal health ministry.
Meanwhile, Russia has reported a record-high daily Covid-19 count of 36,446 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 8,316,019, the official monitoring and response center said Tuesday.
The nationwide death toll grew by a new single-day record of 1,106 to 232,775, and the number of recoveries increased by 26,973 to 7,213,584.
Situation in Bangladesh
Covid-19 claimed six more lives and infected another 276 people in Bangladesh in 24 hours till Tuesday morning.
The daily case positivity rate increased slightly to 1.44 percent from Monday’s 1.39 percent.
With the fresh numbers, the Covid fatalities reached 27,834 while the caseload climbed to 1,568,257 in Bangladesh, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
READ: Global Covid cases top 243 million
Of the latest deaths, five were men and one woman.
The new cases were detected after testing 19,184 samples during the 24-hour period.
The recovery rate, however, increased slightly to 97.70 percent, with 440 more patients getting cured.
Covid-19 in Bangladesh: 14 more lives lost, 481 fresh cases detected
Covid-19 in Bangladesh claimed 14 more lives and infected another 481 in 24 hours till Sunday morning. With the fresh numbers, the Covid-19 fatalities reached 27,688 in Bangladesh while the caseload mounted to 1,562,359, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).The fresh cases were detected after testing 20,355 samples.
READ: Covid-19: Global cases near 238 million
With this, the daily-case positivity rate declined slightly to 2.36 percent from Friday’s 2.45 percent, said the DGHS.Bangladesh recorded below 3% daily-positivity rate last on February this year. However, the mortality rate remained static at 1.77 percent.The recovery rate slightly rose to 97.53 percent with the recovery of 699 more patients during this time.
READ: Covid-19: Experts say Bangladesh close to reaching herd immunity thresholdSo far, 1,523,833 people have recovered from the deadly virus infections, the DGHS added.