A woman with novel coronavirus symptoms died at Harirampur upazila in Manikganj on Sunday. Physician of Munnu Medical College hospital in Ghior has collected a sample of the deceased.
The sample would be sent to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) for test.
The 26-year-old deceased was a housewife.
The local health department, family members of the woman and police sources said she had been suffering from fever and cough for four days. On Saturday, the woman suffered from diarrhoea. As her condition deteriorated further, the deceased was then rushed to the hospital at around 9:30am where she was pronounced dead.
The husband of the deceased said they were living separately due to religious obligations as his father had died on 18 March.
The woman was taken to a local ‘quack’ on Saturday after she had diarrhoea, the husband added.
Deputy director of the hospital SM Moniruzzaman said the woman had died before being brought to the hospital.
She had all the symptoms of coronavirus, Moniruzzaman added.
They collected the woman’s sample following instructions of the district civil surgeon and IEDCR.
The woman might have contacted COVID-19 when people gathered at the last rites of her father-in-law, Moniruzzaman feared.
Civil surgeon Anwarul Amin Akhand said the blood sample would be sent to Dhaka soon.
Deputy commissioner SM Ferdous said family members and neighbours of the deceased were asked to be quarantined.
Harirampur upazila administration, police and health department are working to ensure quarantine.
The village would be completely locked down if the woman found coronavirus positive, he added.