coronavirus pandemic
KMCH starts Plasma Therapy for experimental treatment of Covid-19 patients
After Dhaka Medical College Hospital, now Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH) has started Convalescent Plasma Therapy (CPT) on experimental basis, aiming to save lives of Covid-19 infected patients.
A physician, who had recovered from coronavirus, donated his plasmas to KMCH for the first time on Thursday night.
A medical team led by Dr SM Tushar Alam, head of blood transfusion department of the hospital, administered CPT to treat a coronavirus infected patient at the hospital.
Sources said, Dr Mohammad Manjurul, an intern of Sir Salimullah Medical College and Hospital and a resident of Bagerhat, donated his plasmas at the blood bank of the hospital.
Dr Manjurul was found infected with coronavirus in April and later he recovered.
Prof. Dr Mohammad Abdul Ahad of Khulna Medical College, director of KMCH, Dr Munshi Reza Sekendar, coordinator of Coronavirus prevention and treatment management committee, Dr Mehedi Newaz, Focal person of Corona Dedicated hospital Dr Farid Uddin Ahmed, Dr Shoilendranath Biswas and Dr Firoz were present there.
Dr SM Tushar Alam, said, “ Convalescent Plasma Therapy (CPT) has started at the hospital and we hope we’ll see positive change in the patient within one or two days.”
Plasma is the liquid portion of blood that remains when all red and white blood cells and platelets have been removed. CPT is extracting blood plasma from an individual who has recovered from coronavirus illness and transfusing it into a patient who is sick.
CPT is, by far, the oldest treatment being tested to battle COVID-19, being successful in cases during the previous coronavirus outbreaks such as the Sars epidemic in 2003 and the Ebola virus outbreak in 2013. Physicians used CPT effectively before the specific treatment was developed for H1N1 influenza (Spanish virus), SARS-1 and MERS virus.
Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) started collecting plasmas from COVID-19 recovered donors. Earlier, CPT was used for treating a COVID-19 patient for the first time in Bangladesh at the Evercare Hospital Dhaka (formerly known as Apollo Hospital) on May 6.
In Bangladesh, a national technical subcommittee for the plasma treatment under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) was formed in early April and DMCH’s blood transfusion department decided on April 28 to explore CPT to treat COVID-19 patients.
Coronavirus: Global death toll reaches 359,791
The number of global coronavirus deaths reached 359,791 on Friday morning while the confirmed cases were 5,803,416 , according to the Centre for System Science and Engineering of Johns Hopkins University.
In the US, the death toll is 101,573 while its confirmed cases stood at1, 720,613.
The first US infection was reported in Washington State on 21 January.
According to JHU data, Brazil has come up to the second position after US with 438, 238 confirmed coronavirus cases where the death toll climbed to 26,754..
The UK has the second-highest death toll at 37,919, followed by Italy with 33,142, France 28,665 and Spain 27, 119, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Coronavirus cases were first reported in China in December last year.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the coronavirus crisis a pandemic on March 11.
Bangladesh on Thursday saw the highest-ever jump in coronavirus cases in a single day as the health authorities confirmed the detection of record 2,029 new patients in the last 24 hours, raising the total cases to 40,321.
During the period, 15 more people died from the fast spreading disease, taking the death tally to 559.
Coronavirus cases in Bangladesh exceed 40,000, 15 more die in 24 hrs
Bangladesh on Thursday saw the highest-ever jump in coronavirus cases in a single day as the health authorities confirmed the detection of record 2,029 new patients in the last 24 hours, raising the total cases to 40,321.
Intercity train services to resume from May 31
The government has decided to operate intercity trains from May 31 to June 15 through selling 50 percent tickets.
Railways Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan came up with information on Thursday.
He said the decision to sell 50 percent tickets has been taken so that passengers can travel maintaining distance from each other.
A meeting will be held in this regard on May 30, said the minister.
The government has decided to allow limited operation of public transport, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain told UNB on Wednesday night.
Public transports – buses, trains and vessels – will have to maintain health guidelines, Hossain said.
Coronavirus: Eight districts report 78 cases
Seventy eight people including a physician and eight policemen tested positive for coronavirus in eight districts in the last 24 hours till Wednesday night.
Among them, six including three policemen are from Khulna , 37 from Laxmipur district, 19 from Bhola, four from Thakurgaon and one physician and five policemen from Sunamganj, two from Rangamati three from Satkhira and one from Magura district.
In Khulna, ten more people including three policemen were diagnosed with coronavirus.
The infected policemen are—Mehedi Hasan, Rakib Mahmud and Riyad of Khulna industrial police.
Dr Mehedi Newaj, vice-principle of Khulna Medical College Hospital, said on Thursday morning that 188 samples were tested in the PCR lab of the hospital in last 24 hours where ten samples tested positive.
Among the new cases, three patients are from Satkhira and one from Magura.
In Laxmipur, thirty seven more people were diagnosed with coronavirus during the same period.
According to the civil surgeon office, with the new cases, total coronavirus cases reached 186 in the district.
In Thakurgaon, four people were tested coronavirus positive in 24 hours, taking the total cases to 67 in the district.
Civil surgeon Dr Md Mahfuzar Rahman said 14 samples were sent to Dinajpur and four of those found positive.
Total 1382 samples have been tested in the district till Wednesday.
In Sunamganj, five policemen and a physician tested coronavirus positive in the last 24 hours.
Civil surgeon Dr Md Shams Uddin confirmed on Wednesday night that five policemen of district police lines and the physician of Chhatok upazila health complex have been infected with coronavirus.
In Rangamati, two coronavirus patients have been detected in the last 24 hours, taking the total cases to 58 in the district, said Dr Mostofa Kamal, corona related focal person of the district.
In Bhola, Nineteen new coronavirus cases were reported during the same period, according to information of civil surgeon control room source.
Virus deaths surpass 100,000 in US while cases rise in India
As the death toll from the coronavirus rose above 100,000 in the United States, there were also record numbers getting sick in India.
Dhaka-bound people’s rush at Shimulia ghat raises fear of virus spread
Hundreds of people gathered at Shimulia ferry ghat on Thursday morning for returning to the capital after celebrating of Eid-ul Fitr, raising the fear of coronavirus spread.
A large number of people are returning to their work from the Southern region of the country without maintaining social distancing and health rules, said BIWTC Shimulia ghat official Shafiqul Islam.
Total ten ferries including four Ro-Ro, four co-type, and 2 medium ferries are carrying the passengers and the vehicles.
Global coronavirus death toll reaches 355,653
The number of global coronavirus deaths reached 355,653 on Thursday morning while the confirmed cases were 5,691,790, according to the Centre for System Science and Engineering of the Johns Hopkins University.
In the US, the death toll crossed 100,000 while its confirmed cases stood at 1,699,933.
The first US infection was reported in Washington State on 21 January.
Coronavirus: Global deaths crosses 3.5 lakh
The number of global coronavirus deaths reached 350,456 on Wednesday morning while the confirmed cases rose to 5,591,067, according to the Centre for System Science and Engineering of the Johns Hopkins University.
Coronavirus: Bangladesh reports 1,166 new cases
The health authorities reported detection of 1,166 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours after testing 5,407 samples.