First coronavirus death confirmed in Bangladesh

An old man was confirmed as the first coronavirus death in Bangladesh on Wednesday.

The patient was over 70 years old.

Director of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) Prof Dr Meerjady Sabrina Flora disclosed the information at a press conference today.

She said four more people, including one female and three male, have been diagnosed with the coronavirus infection in the country, taking the number of coronavirus-infected patients in the country to 14.

Among them, one is a family member of a corona-infected person, two came from Italy and another from Kuwait.

On March 8, the IEDCR announced for the first time the detection of three Covid-19 patients in Bangladesh.

Of them, two were Italy-returnees while the third one was the wife of one of them. However, all of them have already recovered from the disease.

On March 14, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said two more coronavirus cases were detected in the country.

On Monday, the IEDCR announced the detection of three more patients from the same family while two more on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the death toll from the coronavirus or COVID-19 has reached 7,987 globally as of Wednesday.

It has so far infected 198,426 people around the world, according to worldometer.

Of them, 107,676 are currently being treated with 6,415 being in serious or critical condition.

So far, 90,750 cases had outcomes and of them, 82,763 (91 percent) recovered and 9 percent died.

COVID-19 is affecting 162 countries and territories around the world and one international conveyance (the Diamond Princess cruise ship harboured in Yokohama, Japan).

The World Health Organization on March 11 declared the coronavirus crisis a pandemic.