Agence France-Press reports:

A massive coronavirus prayer session with tens of thousands of devotees sparked an outcry in Bangladesh Wednesday as the South Asian nation reported its first death from the global pandemic. Local police chief Tota Miah said some 10,000 Muslims gathered in an open field in Raipur town in southern Bangladesh to pray "healing verses" from the Koran to rid the country of the deadly virus.

The Bangladesh reported infection count is low (18, according to WorldoMeters, in a nation with half the population of the U.S.), but the actual count there, as in many other places, may well be much higher; "Authorities have already shut schools and asked locals to avoid large gatherings in an effort to halt the spread of the disease."

(Whispered) thanks to commenter librarian for the pointer.