Covid-19-related deaths had increased four folds in Bangladesh since the emergence of the omicron strain of novel coronavirus, health minister Zahid Maleque told journalists at a press conference on Sunday.
Similarly, Covid infection and hospitalisation have also increased many times compared with the time before omicron was detected, he said.
‘It is not right to call omicron mild,’ said the minister at the beginning of the press briefing held at Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons.
The daily Covid death rose to 20 nowadays from four to five just before Omicron hit Bangladesh, he said.
Infection has increased 20 times while hospitalisation rose to 3000 from maximum 500 before the emergence of omicron, said the minister.
The presence of Omicron in Bangladesh was officially announced on December 11, 2021.
