Still unexplained
The hunt for the origins of Covid-19 has for the past four years been a tangled web of politics, power struggles, and international finger-pointing.
The number of coronavirus cases in Bangladesh crossed the 100,000 mark on Thursday, according to the authorities.
The country has reported 3,803 new cases in the past 24 hours from Wednesday morning, taking the total number of cases to 102,292.
Bangladesh overtook Canada and is now 17th on the list of most-affected nations, according to the global coronavirus data released by John Hopkins University.
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Nasima Sultana, additional director general of health services said that the COVID-19 death toll reached 1,343, with the deaths of 38 people in the past 24 hours.
According to the Health Emergency Operations control room, the country has only 12,034 beds and 339 ICU beds available in government and private hospitals for COVID-19 patients.
On Sunday, Junior Minister for Religious Affairs, Sheikh Abdullah had died due to the novel coronavirus, as tests conducted after his death at a hospital in Dhaka revealed he was suffering from COVID-19.
Earlier on Saturday, former Health Minister Mohammed Nasim passed away at a Dhaka hospital, where he was undergoing treatment for COVID-19.
Government spokesperson Chowdhury said Nasim, who had held the health portfolio between 2014 and 2019, was hospitalised on June 1 after having tested positive for the coronavirus. He also suffered a stroke after being admitted.
Earlier, at least two other Ministers had also tested positive for the coronavirus and are currently undergoing treatment at a hospital.
“The infection rate among Bangladeshi doctor is possibly highest in the world,” said BMA secretary Ehteshamul Huq Choudhury.
“So far, 40 doctors have died, 36 of COVID-19 and four others with symptoms. According to our latest estimate, 1,035 doctors tested positive,” he said.
Bangladesh imposed a lockdown on March 26 to check the spread of the coronavirus.
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