Covid-19 surge: authorities in Chapainawabganj to launch RT PCR lab tomorrow

Local authorities are going to launch an RT PCR laboratory in Chapainawabganj tomorrow, in the wake of increasing detection rate of coronavirus infection in the frontier district.

The government RT PCR laboratory that has been working on tuberculosis so far was prepared for detecting coronavirus and it is likely to start testing samples from tomorrow, Civil Surgeon of the district Dr Zahid Nazrul Chowdhury told The Daily Star today.

He also said the number beds at Chapainawabganj Sadar Hospital for treating coronavirus patients was increased to 50 from 10.

Dr Zahid said they have capacity for supplying 20 litre oxygen per minute. But despite having the capacity, critical patients of the district are going to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital as there is no ICU facilities in the Sadar hospital.  

The district's coronavirus detection rate has increased to 59 percent until last night from the previous night's rate of 55 percent, health officials in Rajshahi said.

At least 212 samples from the district were tested in the RT PCR laboratories in Rajshahi in 24 hours till yesterday evening and 131 tests were found positive, reports our Rajshahi staff correspondent.

However, local authorities in the district conducted antigen tests of 58 samples and 28 were found positive.