‘720 have died with Covid-19 symptoms’

Some 720 people have died with Covid-19-like symptoms in the country since the first three confirmed cases reported on March 8, said a report of Dhaka University's Centre for Genocide Studies.

These 720 people had similar symptoms to the disease, but they were not confirmed to have been Covid-19 positive.

The report has found a downtrend in such deaths in last three weeks, showing a 13 percent decline in week-12 (May 24-30) from the previous week.

On weeks 10, 11, and 12, there were 67, 62, and 54 deaths respectively.

The report, however, said the deaths may not have been be related to Covid-19.

CGS shared outcomes of the report styled "Covid-19 Graphics" with media on Wednesday. It was the eighth edition of a series of such reports prepared by Bangladesh Peace Observatory, an initiative of CGS.

Each edition was prepared based on news reports published or aired by 25 media outlets including national and local dailies, online news portals and television channels.

According to the report, 82 incidents of rumour spreading surrounding Covid-19 were recorded in the country, while 86 people, with highest 35 in Dhaka division, were arrested over the incidents.

Furthermore, 466 people were arrested and another 9,109 people were fined or penalised for various offences related to the outbreak, including relief embezzlement, violation of social distancing, arranging social gatherings, opening businesses, and fraudulent activity.

At least 576 people were reportedly detained, fined or penalised and 50 were arrested all over Bangladesh between May 17-30. Most fines and penalties occurred due to the violation of health and safety regulations amid the limited shopping window before Eid-ul-Fitr, it said.

The report said 125 protests took place, of which 61 were for unpaid salaries and 50 protests demanded relief, aid or food.

Seven protests incidents took place over shutdown rules, for accountability against lay-off, and for waiver of rents, while another seven against irregularities in relief, aid or food distribution, the report said.

Moreover, 119 violent incidents related to Covid-19 took place between March and May, resulting in 13 deaths and 461 injuries, it added.In a report published in The Daily Star on May 14, CGS had reported a total of 929 deaths with Covid-19-like symptoms between March 8 and May 12.

As footnote, CGS' latest report said, "Several duplications in the information retrieved from the secondary sources were identified. After retracing each case, the duplications were removed."