196 more patients hospitalised with dengue in 24 hrs

At least 196 people with dengue fever were admitted to hospitals across the country in 24 hours till yesterday morning.

Around 100 dengue patients being reported daily for more than a week has sparked new worries, as the country's health services are already overburdened with growing Covid-19 cases and fatalities.

Of the new dengue cases, 194 were reported in Dhaka, while only two were from outside the capital, said Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

According to DGHS, 777 patients are currently receiving treatment at different hospitals across the country.

A vast majority of dengue patients are from Dhaka; only 30 were being treated in hospitals outside the capital.

Some 2,658 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue since January, and 1,877 of them have been released after recovery. 

DGHS reported 1,193 dengue cases and three confirmed dengue-related deaths in 2020.

According to official statistics, 1,01,354 dengue cases and 179 deaths were recorded in Bangladesh in 2019.

Dengue fever was first reported in Bangladesh in 2000, claiming 93 lives that year.

In the years that followed, the country learned to deal with the disease much better. The fatalities had almost fallen to zero at one stage, before surging again in 2018, leading to a severe outbreak the following year.