Although Bangladesh is a densely-populated country with poor health infrastructures, it has low coronavirus death rate so far, shows worldometer data.
As per the statistics compiled by the global corona reference website, Bangladesh has witnessed a 1.3 per cent death rate, one of the world's lowest ones, against the global average of 3.54 per cent.
Health experts are still not sure about the exact reasons behind it but they think demographic characteristics, people's strong immune system, expanded immunisation system and the prevalence of less virulent strain of the virus may be the causes that safeguarding people to fight against the virus and recover, reports UNB.
Bangladesh reported 3,694 deaths from Covid-19 as of August 17 while the confirmed infections in the country reached 279,144 during the period.
According to official data, among the total deaths, 2,918 or 78.99 per cent are men while 776 or 21.01 per cent are women.
Against the total number of detected cases, the mortality rate is 1.32 per cent.
According to worldometer, the average global mortality rate is nearly 3.54 per cent until August 17 while it was 3.1 per cent in the USA, 3.2 per cent In Brazil, 5.5 per cent in China, 10 per cent in the UK, 14 per cent in Italy, 8 per cent in Spain, 1.7 per cent in Russia, 1.9 per cent in India and 2.1 per cent in Pakistan.
Contacted, Prof Nazrul Islam, a noted virologist and former vice-chancellor at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medica University (BSMMU), said though Bangladesh is a densely-populated country, it has been witnessing very lower mortality rate than many other countries. "We can't say the exact reasons behind it since no scientific study has so far carried out in this regard. But, I think, there're mainly two reasons -- demographic and physiologic."
He said the corona mortality rates are very low not only in Bangladesh but also in other countries, including those in Africa, because most of their populations are young.
Prof Nazrul said younger people have a strong immune system and they can recover fast. "We've less than 10 per cent people of 60 years of age or above, but they account for over 50 per cent of fatalities from the virus. So, we can say age is a significant factor in terms of recovery."
Besides, he said, it seems people, mainly the poor, have a stronger immune system.
"According to a recent study carried out by the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) in collaboration with the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), nine per cent of the population in the capital have been infected with Covid-19 while only six percent of slum dwellers exposed to the virus and their mortality rate is very low," the expert said.
As people in the country usually suffer from various viruses and seasonal flu and receive various vaccines and medicines, the virologist said they have some sort of natural defensive mechanism which is helping them beat the virus.
Besides, he said, the rates of infections and deaths among women in the country are very low due to immunological, hormonal and genetic factors. "It seems women have robust immune responses and greater ability to fight against infection, diseases and germs than men."
Prof Nazrul said the corona situation did not improve significantly in Bangladesh as over 30 people are dying every day. "The mortality rate is low, but still many people are being subjected to the virus fatality. So, we need to intensify our preventive measures to contain the virus."
Noted medicine specialist and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's personal physician Dr ABM Abdullah said without a scientific research no one can surely say why the corona fatality rate is very low in Bangladesh. "But I can guess Bangladesh's strain of coronavirus is less virulent compared to many other affected countries. This can be one of the reasons. If we examine data, people having comorbidities and underlying health condition are mostly dying after being infected with coronavirus in Bangladesh while others who don't have comorbidities can recover fast. It suggests the Covid-19 strain here is less virulent mutation."
Besides, he said, a large section of people, including day-labourers, rickshaw-pullers and slum-dwellers used to do work hard work. "This type of people, I think, have some sort of natural virus protection or a stronger immune system. That's why they can defeat the deadly virus."
Dr Abdullah said children in Bangladesh receive expanded immunisation, with vaccinations against different diseases, strengthening their immune system.
"Younger people comprise a majority of the country's population while over 50 per cent Covid-19 appears to be aged from 20 to 40 who have higher immunity, resulting in lower deaths and higher recovery rates," he observed.
Prof AKM Nurun Nabi of Dhaka University's Population Sciences department said around 7.5 per cent (12.5 million) of the country's total population constitutes the elderly people or above 65 years of age.
"Elderly people usually vulnerable to any disease as they lose their resistance power and suffer from various chronic and critical diseases. So, the mortality rate of ageing Covid-19 patients is very high all over the world. In comparison to the USA, China and Europe and even the neighbouring countries, we're in a much better position as our death rate is far below than them as we've a very small number of super-aged population (over 75-year old)," he said.
