20 fatalities reported during the same time, says the health directorate
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Tribune Report
Publish : 02 Jan 2022, 05:34 PMUpdate : 02 Jan 2022, 10:41 PM
Experts fear that a 60% increase in Covid-19 infections in the country over the past week may be an omen of another wave of the pandemic.
Noted virologist Professor Nazrul Islam has warned that the test positivity rate in the country may again cross 5% within the next one month or two.
The daily Covid infection rate in the country rose to 2.91% yesterday, the highest in nearly three months. The increase coincides with surges of Covid cases in many countries around the globe that are grappling with the Omicron variant.
The test positivity rate dipped below 5% on September 21 last year after a prolonged period of high infections.
It began increasing again on December 16, and crossed 2% on December 20. The last time the country recorded a higher daily infection rate than yesterday was 2.97% on October 7.
“There is a recent surge in Covid transmissions, and the situation across the world is worsening,” Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) spokesperson Dr Robed Amin said at a press briefing yesterday.
He said the recent surge was similar to the surge in cases in December 2019, when the number of infections started to pick up after remaining stagnant for some time.
Professor Nazrul Islam, member of the National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19, told Dhaka Tribune: “People are not at all following the health guidelines and this recklessness is contributing to the recent surge. Vaccination will provide some protection, true, but there is no alternative to wearing a mask and washing hands.”.
He said that the government should arrange sufficient oxygen supply at hospitals immediately to avoid a potential crisis in hospitals.
A total of 2,928 people were infected with Covid in the past seven days, an increase of 60% from the previous week. Meanwhile, as many as 20 Covid patients died across the country over the same period, which amounts to a 150% increase from the week before.
Dr Robed said there were 6,745 Covid patients in the country in November and the number went up to 9,255 in December. Most of the deceased were over the age of 50, but some were younger.
According to the latest data from the health authorities, 557 new infections were reported in the 24 hours to yesterday morning, taking the total caseload to 1,586,466.
The total number of fatalities rose to 28,077 with a single new death reported over the period.
Dhaka recorded the most cases among the eight divisions, logging 485 infections.
Another 253 people recovered from the illness during the 24-hour period, bringing the total number of recoveries to 1,549,557.
As many as 19,130 samples were tested across the country yesterday. The latest figures put the recovery rate at 97.69% and the mortality rate at 1.77 %.
Women, children more vulnerable than men
Women and children are proving to be more vulnerable to the Omicron variant than men, Robed Amin said, citing global research data.
“Data from South Africa, where the variant was first detected, is showing that women, children and youths are being infected more by Omicron,” he said, reports UNB.
“None of the vaccines being administered currently are 100% effective against the Omicron Covid-19 variant,” the DGHS spokesperson added.
He further said that the government was considering expanding the booster dose campaign in light of the data.
“Antibodies in those who have already received two doses can decline with time, and they can then contract the Omicron variant,” he said.
Covid Infections Up By 60% In A Week
Experts fear that a 60% increase in Covid-19 infections in the country over the past week may be an omen of another wave of the pandemic.
Noted virologist Professor Nazrul Islam has warned that the test positivity rate in the country may again cross 5% within the next one month or two.
The daily Covid infection rate in the country rose to 2.91% yesterday, the highest in nearly three months. The increase coincides with surges of Covid cases in many countries around the globe that are grappling with the Omicron variant.
The test positivity rate dipped below 5% on September 21 last year after a prolonged period of high infections.
It began increasing again on December 16, and crossed 2% on December 20. The last time the country recorded a higher daily infection rate than yesterday was 2.97% on October 7.
“There is a recent surge in Covid transmissions, and the situation across the world is worsening,” Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) spokesperson Dr Robed Amin said at a press briefing yesterday.
He said the recent surge was similar to the surge in cases in December 2019, when the number of infections started to pick up after remaining stagnant for some time.
Professor Nazrul Islam, member of the National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19, told Dhaka Tribune: “People are not at all following the health guidelines and this recklessness is contributing to the recent surge. Vaccination will provide some protection, true, but there is no alternative to wearing a mask and washing hands.”.
He said that the government should arrange sufficient oxygen supply at hospitals immediately to avoid a potential crisis in hospitals.
A total of 2,928 people were infected with Covid in the past seven days, an increase of 60% from the previous week. Meanwhile, as many as 20 Covid patients died across the country over the same period, which amounts to a 150% increase from the week before.
Dr Robed said there were 6,745 Covid patients in the country in November and the number went up to 9,255 in December. Most of the deceased were over the age of 50, but some were younger.
According to the latest data from the health authorities, 557 new infections were reported in the 24 hours to yesterday morning, taking the total caseload to 1,586,466.
The total number of fatalities rose to 28,077 with a single new death reported over the period.
Dhaka recorded the most cases among the eight divisions, logging 485 infections.
Another 253 people recovered from the illness during the 24-hour period, bringing the total number of recoveries to 1,549,557.
As many as 19,130 samples were tested across the country yesterday. The latest figures put the recovery rate at 97.69% and the mortality rate at 1.77 %.
Women, children more vulnerable than men
Women and children are proving to be more vulnerable to the Omicron variant than men, Robed Amin said, citing global research data.
“Data from South Africa, where the variant was first detected, is showing that women, children and youths are being infected more by Omicron,” he said, reports UNB.
“None of the vaccines being administered currently are 100% effective against the Omicron Covid-19 variant,” the DGHS spokesperson added.
He further said that the government was considering expanding the booster dose campaign in light of the data.
“Antibodies in those who have already received two doses can decline with time, and they can then contract the Omicron variant,” he said.
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