File photo shows a general view of the entrance of the Emergency and Casualty Unit of the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital Dhaka Tribune

Total 82 people have died from  the deadly virus at the hospital since July 1

Eighteen more Covid-19 related fatalities were reported at the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) in the last 24 hours till Monday morning as the country continues to reel from a devastating second wave of the pandemic.

Of the deceased, 12 tested positive for Covid-19, five had the symptoms but had not been tested or did not have their test results, while one was receiving treatment at the hospital despite a negative test result. 

Of them, eight were from Rajshahi, four from Naogaon, three from Natore, and one each from Chapainawabganj, Pabna, and Kushtia districts, RMCH Director Shamim Yeazdani told Dhaka Tribune.

Seven of them were aged above 61, three were between 51 to 60, two were 41 to 50, and six were aged between 31 to 40.

With the latest development, the overall death tally of Covid-19 patients at RMCH Since July 1 now stands at 82. Of them, 28 tested positive for Covid-19.

Sixty-nine people were admitted to the Covid-19 unit of the hospital in the last 24 hours till Monday morning, said the director.

Forty-eight people were discharged from the hospital after recovery during this period. Around 495 people have been undergoing treatment at the hospital against 405 beds at the Covid unit of the hospital.

The RMCH director said that Ward No 4 of the hospital is now being added to its Covid unit to cope with the rising number of patients. 

“The work of installing 50 oxygen lines has been completed. With this, the number of beds in our Covid unit will increase to 455,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Covid-19 positivity rate continues to maintain an upward trend in the district. On Sunday, 616 samples were tested, of which 210 were positive.

Infection rate increased to 34.09% from 33.83 % the previous day. 

During the same period, 654 samples were tested in two other labs of RMCH, of which 218 tested positive for Covid-19. Moreover, a total of 38 samples were tested in Chapainawabganj, of which eight resulted positive for Covid-19.

RMCH has been one of the most stretched hospitals in the country during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly since the latter part of May when the deadly delta variant of the virus was identified in multiple samples in the Rajshahi division.