Man dies after showing Covid-19-like symptoms
8 others in isolation at hospitals
Star Report
A man died of coronavirus-like symptoms in Bogura and 19 people were kept home-quarantined in different districts in the last two days as they showed similar symptoms.
Patients and their families alleged that they did not get proper treatment and medicare, reports our district correspondents.
In Bogura, a 45-year-old-man died at his home in Shibganj upazila on Friday night. His wife said he had been suffering from breathing problems, cold, cough and high fever for three days.
Bogura Deputy Civil Surgeon Mostafijur Rahman Tuhin claimed that the man was not infected with coronavirus.
“This [yesterday] morning, I talked to IEDCR Director Dr Meerjady Sabrina Flora over the phone. I informed her about the patient’s symptoms. She told me that a coronavirus patient does not show symptoms of common cold.
“However, she suggested collecting samples from the patient’s body and send those to Dhaka for tests. We will act as per her suggestions,” said the deputy civil surgeon.
Meanwhile, Shibganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Alamgir Kabir yesterday afternoon declared lockdown of 10 houses adjacent to that of the deceased.
Speaking to The Daily Star, wife of the deceased said her husband lives in Gazipur for business purpose. He returned home on Tuesday and fell ill the following day.
“We called the hotline number of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research time and again, but nobody answered the phone,” she alleged.
The deceased was buried in the village yesterday afternoon.
In Pabna, a suspected coronavirus patient was put into isolation at the isolation unit of Bera upazila health complex and 16 of his family members were sent home in the upazila on Friday afternoon to quarantine themselves.
The 25-year-old patient, who used to sell products on trains, came to his father-in-law’s house in the upazila’s Nagarbari area on Thursday.
He was suffering from fever and a sore throat. Panicked, villagers informed the local administration and the health department about his condition, said Bera UNO Asif Anam Siddiquee.
Doctors and officials of the local administration visited the patient’s in-law’s house on Friday and sent him into isolation at the Upazila Parishad Dakbanglow. Yesteday, he was shifted to the health complex.
Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Milon Mahmud said he informed the IEDCR about the patient’s illness. The IEDCR asked for his blood sample and the health officials were preparing for sending the sample.
In Sylhet, two people, including an 80-year-old woman, were admitted to the corona isolation centre at Sylhet Saheed Shamsuddin Ahmed Hospital yesterday after she showed coronavirus-like symptoms.
Sushanta Kumar Mahapatro, resident medical officer at the hospital, said the other patient, a university student, came to the hospital on Friday night with some coronavirus-like symptoms and was admitted.
He came in contact with some Europe-returnees recently, said Sushanta.
Samples of both the patients will be collected and sent to IEDCR today, he said.
In Thakurgoan, five members of a family from the district’s Sadar upazila were sent to the corona isolation unit of Rangpur Medical College Hospital yesterday as they were showing coronavirus-like symptoms.
Besides, three members of another family were showing coronavirus-like symptoms in a village in Thakurgoan Sadar upazila. They were kept quarantined at their homes.
Talking to The Daily Star over the phone, one of the patients alleged that he returned home from Dhaka on Friday with fever.
Since then, his condition had been deteriorating and he was suffering from cough, breathing problems, and soar throat.
Later, two of his family members started showing similar symptoms.
Contacted, Thakurgoan Civil Surgeon Dr Mahfuzur Rahman said health workers already visited the patients and gave directives to them.
Our correspondents in Bogura, Pabna, Sylhet, and Thakurgoan contributed to this report.