Covid-19 claims five lives in 24 hours, dengue one

Bangladesh reported six more deaths -- five from Covid-19 and one from dengue -- in the 24 hours till Sunday morning, underscoring the growing pressure on the country's public health system amid a simultaneous rise in infections from both the diseases.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), 36 new Covid-19 cases were detected during the 24-hour period, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 2,051,978, with the death toll climbing to 29,515.

A total of 621 samples were tested, yielding a daily positivity rate of 5.80 per cent. The overall positivity rate now stands at 13.05 per cent, while the case fatality rate remains at 1.44 per cent.

Meanwhile, one more person died from dengue fever and 329 others were hospitalised across the country during the same period, amid a sharp uptick in cases following the onset of the monsoon season in late May.

So far this year, dengue has claimed 32 lives and led to the hospitalisation of 7,758 patients, DGHS data show.

Dengue has turned into a major public health concern in Bangladesh over the past several years, with its recent outbreaks becoming increasingly severe. The first major outbreak in 2000 resulted in 93 deaths and 5,551 hospitalisations. From 2000 to 2022, the disease claimed 853 lives and sent 2,44,246 people to hospitals.

However, 2023 marked the deadliest year on record, with 1,705 dengue-related deaths and 3,21,179 hospitalisations. Of those infected last year, 575 died and 1,01,214 were reported cases, with 1,00,040 recoveries.

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