IEDCR confirms first coronavirus death in Bangladesh

FT ONLINE

Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) on Wednesday said a 70-year-old patient has died due to coronavirus infection for the first time in Bangladesh.

IEDCR Director professor Dr. Meerjady Sabrina Flora revealed the information at a regular press briefing this afternoon.

"The elderly victim was suffering from many old-age complications and came into contact with a returnee from abroad," she added.

She said four more people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus infection in the country, taking the number of coronavirus-infected patients in the country to 14.

On March 8, the IEDCR announced for the first time the detection of three Covid-19 patients in Bangladesh.

Of them, two were Italy-returnees while the third one was the wife of one of them. However, all of them have already recovered from the disease.

On March 14, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said two more coronavirus cases were detected in the country.

On Monday, the IEDCR announced the detection of three more patients from the same family while two more on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the death toll from the coronavirus or COVID-19 has reached 7,987 globally as of Wednesday.

It has so far infected 198,426 people around the world, according to worldometer.

Of them, 107,676 are currently being treated with 6,415 being in serious or critical condition.

So far, 90,750 cases had outcomes and of them, 82,763 (91 percent) recovered and 9 percent died.

COVID-19 is affecting 162 countries and territories around the world and one international conveyance (the Diamond Princess cruise ship harboured in Yokohama, Japan).

The World Health Organization on March 11 declared the coronavirus crisis a pandemic.