Four die with Covid-19-like symptoms

At least four people, including a teenage boy, died after showing Covid-19-like symptoms in four districts yesterday, while three patients exhibiting similar symptoms and fever have been kept in isolation in Chattogram.

Our correspondents from different districts reported on the deaths of people exhibiting Coronavirus-like symptoms and subsequent lockdowns at some places.

In Pirojpur, a 17-year-old boy who sat for the SSC examination this year, died yesterday after suffering with fever and cough for the last three or four days. But he did not go to hospital, said HM Jahirul Islam, Bhandaria upazila health and family planning officer.

The boy suddenly started suffering from bleeding from the mouth and nose at noon and died shortly afterwards, the health officer added.

"The body's samples have been sent to the IEDCR [Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research]," he added.

Local upazila administration has locked down the five families of the house and asked the entire village to go into isolation, said Md Nazmul Alam, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Bhandaria.

In Tangail, a man died at Madhupur's upazila yesterday with flu-like symptoms.

The deceased, Hobibur Rahman Hobi, 35, a resident of Tekkar Bazar village under Mohishmara union, was suffering from cold and fever.

He used to work as a hawker in Gazipur and went to his village home on March 22 with fever. But his family members did not disclose the matter to health officials, said Kazi Motaleb Hossain, chairman of Mohishmara union parishad.

When informed of the death, local administration sent a medical team to the deceased's house to collect samples, said Arifa Johura, Madhupur upazila nirbahi officer (UNO).

When contacted, Dr Mohammad Waheduzzaman, civil surgeon in Tangail, said Hobi's samples will be sent to IEDCR for testing.

In Moulvibazar, a 6o-year-old female tea garden worker with Covid-19-like symptoms died at her residence at Mirzapur Tea Garden in Srimangal upazila.

The woman was suffering from fever, cough and waist pain for the last couple of days. Her condition kept deteriorating since Monday. Later, on Tuesday morning, she was taken to the tea garden's dispensary where she was declared dead.

The victim's husband alleged that she did not get treatment from local health workers or tea garden authorities.

When contacted, Dr. Sajjad Hossain Chowdhury, Sreemongol upazila health and family planning officer, said, "We have contacted to IEDCR in Dhaka. After hearing the deceased's symptoms, they said us the woman was not infected with coronavirus."

In Pabna, a man died of respiratory problems at the Gaspara under Sadar upazila yesterday.

The deceased, Md Ramjan Ali, 40, a vegetable vendor of Gaspara village, has long been suffering from respiratory problems, according to locals.

Contacted, Pabna deputy commissioner (DC) Kabir Mahmud however said the deceased was not infected with Coronavirus. He may die due to respiratory problems.

In Chattogram, three patients exhibiting Covid-19-like symptoms and fever have been kept in isolation in Chattogram General Hospital (CGH). Of them, two were admitted on Monday and one admitted yesterday, said Dr Asim, superintendent of the hospital.

Their ages are between 60 to 70 years. Of the patients, two were female and one was male. None had contact history with any foreign returnee, he added.

"We sent samples of two patients to BITID [Bangladesh Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases] on Monday for Covid-19 test and that of the other today (Tuesday)," he said, adding, "We have got the result of the first two patients and both were negative for Covid-19.

"We expect to get the results of the third sample by tomorrow (Wednesday)," he said.

Yesterday evening, a 55-year-old patient died at BITID after she was referred there from Chattogram Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) earlier in the day. She was kept there in isolation.

MA Hasan, director, BIDIT, said that she had asthma and a heart condition. Her body was at the BIDIT and they have collected her sample, which will be tested today, he added.

Meanwhile, BITID tested a total of 34 samples since March 25 and result of all those samples showed negative for Covid-19, said Mamunur Rashid, associate professor of BITID, adding, testing of two samples was under process till Tuesday afternoon.

A total of 930 people were in home quarantine in Chattogram till yesterday, said Chattogram Civil Surgeon Seikh Fazle Rabbi.

Our Correspondents from Pirojpur, Tangail, Moulvibazar, Pabna and Chattogram contributed to the story.