18 with ‘coronavirus symptoms’ die in 9 days

WASA vehicle sprays disinfectant at Bangshal area on Monday. Photo: Dipu Malakar.

At least 18 people died with symptoms similar to those of COVID-19 in past nine days from 22 to 30 March.

Of them, two were in the capital, two in Rajshahi, two in Khulna, two in Barishal, one in Patuakhali, one in Khagrachhari, one in Sylhet, one in Chattogram, one in Noakhali, one in Manikganj, one in Jamalpur, one in Lalmonirhat, one in Jashore and one in Kushtia.

The deaths were reported in reputed dailies of the country.

Bangladesh tested some 1,338 suspected COVID-19 patients since 21 January.

The government’s Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) confirmed one more case of the coronavirus infection, taking the total number of positive tests to 49 on Monday.

Bangladesh has so far confirmed five deaths.

A woman, suspected to have died with COVID-19 symptoms, being buried at Khilgaon-Taltola graveyard on Sunday. Photo: Ahmed Deepto

Dhaka city (2)

A woman, suspected to have died with COVID-19 symptoms, was buried at the Khilgaon-Taltola graveyard on 29 March.

The employees of Dhaka North City Corporation, who are in-charge of the graveyard, said the woman was 50 and a resident of Dhaka city’s Mohammadpur area. About her burial, Md Ferdous, a staff of the graveyard, told Prothom Alo that the woman’s husband and a son were present during the burial.

Husband of the deceased said that he does not know whether his wife was infected with coronavirus or not. She was suffering from fever, cold and breathing problems for past few days, he added.

He added that the IEDCR collected her sample on Sunday morning but she died before getting the test result.

“The test result matters nothing now. I can’t say anything more,” he told Prothom Alo.

(Woman with COVID-19 symptoms buried alone)

A young man undergoing treatment at the coronavirus unit of Kurmitola General Hospital in the capital died with breathing problems on 28 March, reported the Independent.

The patient was taken to Holy Family Hospital in the capital on Friday with urinary problems. The emergency department recommended admitting the patient to the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU), according to the Holy Family Hospital authorities.

Later, the ICU doctor advised his relatives to take him to the Kurmitola Hospital after coming to know about his 10-day fever, pneumonia and other diseases. He died there.

The burial of the deceased has now been completed.

(7 with 'COVID-19 symptoms' die)

Rajshahi (2)

A woman apparently showing symptoms of novel coronavirus died at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital early 25 March, reports news agency UNB.

Abu Hena Mostafa, in-charge of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital, said the 46-year-old was hospitalised on 20 March with fever, cold related issue and breathing problems.

As her condition deteriorated, she was shifted to the ICU on 22 March where she died around 12:45am.

Saiful Ferdous, deputy director of the hospital, said they contacted the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR). But the woman died before samples could be collected.

(Woman with COVID-19 symptoms dies in Rajshahi)

Deserted Dhaka road. Photo: Prothom Alo

Another person, a young man, with symptoms of novel coronavirus died at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) on 28 March, reports UNB.

The deceased was Al Amin, 22, son of Moklesur Rahman, from Alankar Dighi village of Raninagar upazila in Naogaon.

His Moklesur Rahman said Al Amin worked as an assistant in a shop in Narayanganj. He returned home with a severe cold, fever and asthma on Saturday morning.

As the villagers objected to his being kept at home, they took him to Naogaon Sadar Hospital but the physicians there declined to give him medical care and sent them back.

(Man with coronavirus symptoms dies in RMCH)

Khulna (2)

A patient with coronavirus-like symptoms died in Khulna Medical College Hospital on 26 March.

Physicians suspected the patients could have died from novel coronavirus attack as he developed fever and breathing complications, reports The Business Standard.

The deceased was a Khulna city resident. He underwent a thyroid surgery at a private hospital in Dhaka, where a patient died from COVID-19.

The Khulna resident left the Dhaka hospital followed by the incident. Though he was asked to stay under self-isolation, he travelled to Khulna and got admitted to the KMCH hiding his medical history, said resident medical officer of the KMCH Sailendranath Biswas.

(Patient with virus-like symptoms dies in Khulna)

Three days later, another man with symptoms of novel coronavirus died at the isolation unit of KMCH on 29 March.

The deceased was Sultan Sheikh, 70, son of Abdul Gafur from Narail's Kalia upazila.

KMCH coronavirus unit physician Shailendranath Biswas said though Sultan was undergoing treatment at the coronavirus unit but he had been suffering from tuberculosis.

They informed the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) but were told that it is not necessary to take samples of Sultan's body as he had tuberculosis.

Sultan's body was handed over to his family without any test, the physician added.

(Man in KMCH coronavirus unit dies)

Barishal (2)

Barishal saw two deaths with coronavirus symptoms on 29 March within hours.

Two persons with coronavirus symptoms died at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH) in Barishal. The deceased were Zakir Hossain, a resident of Patuakhali, and Niru Begum, 45, wife of Md Dulal of Puranpara area in Barishal city.

Niru was the first one to die at the Coronavirus Unit of the hospital in the early hours of Sunday. Zakir’s death was reported about eight hours later.

SBMCH director Md Bakir Hossain confirmed the deaths.

(Two with ‘coronavirus symptoms’ die in Barishal)

Patuakhali (1)

A person died of breathing problems at Kalikapur in Patuakhali town on Saturday.

Samples from the body of the deceased patient have been collected and sent to Dhaka to test for COVID-19.

Civil surgeon Mohammad Jahangir Alam confirmed this to Prothom Alo.

The deceased, a 65-year-old cycle-van puller, is from Satbaria village of Lalmohan upazila in Bhola.

His family said he went to his daughter’s house a week ago in Kalikapur of Patuakhali town and was suffering from cold, cough and breathing problems.

(Suspected coronavirus patient dies in Patuakhali)

Villagers block road for outsiders in Khagrachari. Photo: Nirob Chowdhury.

Khagrachhari (1)

In Khagrachhari, a 20-year-old worker of Chattogram Ship Breaking Yard died at his house with cold, high fever and breathing problems in Matiranga upazila on 25 March, reports the Daily Star.

The person, a member of the Tripura community, had returned home from Chhattogram on 22 February showing symptoms common in coronavirus-infected patients, said Md Rafiqul Islam, chairman of Matiranga upazila.

"Family members in presence of local representative buried him instead of cremating him just four hours after his death," he said.

"We ordered the other family members and locals in the area, who came in touch with the deceased person, to stay in home quarantine," said Bivishan Kanti Das, Matiranga upazila nirbahi officer.

"We couldn't collect his blood sample as we have no protective equipment," said Md Khayrul Alam, health and family planning officer in the upazila.

"After hearing about the person's death, we, along with local representatives suggested that the family members bury the deceased as soon as possible," said Khayrul.

(2 die with fever, breathing problems in Khulna, Khagrachhari)

Army men spray disinfectant at Court Point area in Sylhet on Monday. Photo: Anis Mahmud

Sylhet (1)

A 61-year-old woman kept in isolation at Shaheed Shamsuddin Ahmad Hospital in Sylhet died on 22 March.

She had recently returned from the United Kingdom.

The death was confirmed by Himangshu Lal Roy, deputy director of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, on Sunday.

He said the woman was admitted to the hospital after suffering from fever, cough and breathing complications for 10 days. She was kept in isolation at the hospital where she died around 4:00am, he said.

(Woman in Sylhet hospital isolation dies)

Chattogram (1)

A woman, who had been suffering from fever and cold at Sheikhpara in Sitakunda, Chattogram died on 24 March night, reports UNB.

Family of the deceased said Renu Begum, 45, went to her in-law’s house on Tuesday evening with fever and cold from her father’s house in Kumira and died two hours after she reached there.

(Woman’s death in Sitakunda creates panic)

Noakhali (1)

Police put a building under lockdown in Choumuhini Bazar in Begumganj upazila after the death of a young man, who was suffering from fever and cough, on 26 March.

Syed Mohiuddin Abdul Azim, resident medical officer of Noakhali General Hospital, said the 23-year-old man died at the hospital on Thursday night. “He might have died from a cardiac arrest,” he added.

The youth, an assistant to a dentist at Choumuhuni Bazar area, had been suffering from fever and cough for the last one week, said Mahbubul Alam, Begumganj upazila nirbahi officer.

Mominur Rahman, Noakhali civil surgeon, said they have sent the blood sample of the deceased to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) in the capital for test to ensure whether he died from coronavirus.

After the youth’s death, the local administration declared Azizia Plaza as the quarantine centre, he said, adding that the youth used to live on the third floor of the building.

(Noakhali building locked down after youth’s death from fever)

Manikganj (1)

The local administration put Baraichhara village of Manikganj's Harirampur upazila under lockdown on 29 March afternoon following the death of a woman with symptoms of COVID-19.

"She had been suffering from high fever, cough and respiratory problems," said SM Moniruzzaman, deputy director of Monno Medical College and Hospital.

Upazila nirbahi officer Sabina Yasmin said they put the village under lockdown as the woman died showing symptoms of coronavirus.

Civil surgeon Anwarul Amin Akhand also said doctors, nurses and other staff who came in contact with the deceased were asked to maintain home-quarantine.

(Manikganj village under lockdown)

Jamalpur (1)

A patient died at Jamalpur General Hospital with coronavirus symptoms on 28 March. He got admitted at the hospital at 12:00pm on the same day and died after two hours, reports The Independent.

Jamalpur civil surgeon Gautam Roy said, “Relatives of the patient came to the emergency department of the hospital at Saturday noon. At that time, the duty doctor admitted the patient to the hospital. Later, the nurse in charge of the ward measured the patient’s body temperature and got panicked after learning that the patient had breathing problem.

The other nurses of the ward also panicked at the time. Then the patient was referred to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, but the patient died at 2:00pm.

(7 with 'COVID-19 symptoms' die)

Lalmonirhat (1)

In Lalmonirhat, a 49-year-old man named Azizul Islam died with symptoms of COVID-19 at his home in Aditmari upazila on Saturday night as he was allegedly denied treatment at nearby government hospitals, reports UNB.

Lalmonirhat civil surgeon Nirmulendu Roy said on Sunday that a team of the IEDCR was on the way to collect samples from the deceased.

Aditmari upazila nirbahi officer Monsur Ali said that 10 families in the neighbourhood of the deceased in the village Helypad were put in 14-day quarantine.

(Six die with coronavirus symptoms, no new case reported in Bangladesh)

Jashore (1)

A 12-year-old has died while under treatment at the isolation ward in Jashore General Hospital on 30 March.

The child was from Enayetpur village in Jashore sadar upazila.

“He came to the emergency department of the hospital with fever, cough and respiratory complications on Sunday,” said Harun-Ar-Rashid, physician and assistant director of Jashore General Hospital. “He was admitted and sent to institutional quarantine in the isolation ward where he died Monday,” he said.

“It’s not clear whether the child has died of coronavirus. We’ve contacted with the IEDCR (Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research),” said Harun-Ar-Rashid, adding, “The IEDCR said no screening was needed as the symptoms of the dead did not match with that of a coronavirus patient.”

(Child dies in Jashore isolation ward)

Kushtia (1)

A man died after suffering from coronavirus symptoms for three days in Kushtia on 30 March.

Around 40 years old, he was an autorickshaw driver living in Chaurahas area in the district.

The victim had developed a cough from Friday and it turned worse along with further respiratory complications. The breathing difficulties steadily worsened and turned critical and he fell unconscious, Tapas Kumar Sarkar, resident medical officer (RMO) of Kushtia General Hospital, quoted the family of the deceased.

Upazila nirbahi officer Zubaer Hossain Chowdhury has been sent along with police to the house of the deceased, said deputy commissioner Aslam Hossain and added that the house would be under lockdown until the diagnosis report appears.

(Coronavirus suspect dies in Kushtia)