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Covid cases up in some Karnataka districts, but government positive

Bengaluru: A sudden jump in the number of Covid-19 cases in some districts, particularly Kalaburgi, Udupi, Yadagiri and Mandya, has kept the Karnataka government on its toes. The comforting factor, though, is a majority of these patients are asymptomatic, leading to fast recovery and very few deaths.

About 96 per cent of the 2,339 active cases on Tuesday were asymptomatic.

With 53 deaths against 4,063 Covid-19 positive cases so far, the case fatality ratio of Karnataka is 1.29 per cent. Less than 2 per cent of patients needed an ICU and fewer required ventilator support.

Since asymptomatic cases do not need special care except keeping a tab on them to see if they develop symptoms, the government is hoping that it can handle the increase in caseload.

“Based on the epidemiological study, experts have informed us that asymptomatic patients cannot spread the disease. Since the Centre is formulating plans on these lines, we too have considered it in our preparations,” additional chief secretary (health) Jawaid Akhtar told ET. The state has hospital beds to treat 1 lakh patients, but the government is ramping up the capacity, he added.

Although the state claims to have sufficient availability of resources including Covid hospitals, supervised isolation centres and Covid-care centres to treat different categories of patients, there is a slight worry over the capacity of some districts to handle the situation if the cases multiply.

Meanwhile, district administrations are taking steps to tackle any sudden jump in cases.

Kalaburagi district with 510 cases, the highest in the state, is making stringent containment regulations as a precautionary measure.

“We are sealing off the entire village even if one person is tested positive. From our experience of handling the containment zones in Kalaburgi city two months ago, we have learnt that effective containment plan can help in controlling the spread,” Kalaburgi deputy commissioner B Sharath said.

The administration has prepared hospital beds that can handle up to 3,000 patients, and has kept another 4,000 beds on standby. “Since the neighbouring district of Yadagiri (299 cases) does not have an efficient healthcare facility, we have kept standby facilities to accommodate patients from that district too,” the deputy commissioner said.

In Udupi, a district with good health infrastructure and has the second highest number of Covid patients in the state, the administration has partnered with a private hospital to treat Covid-19 patients with acute symptoms. “While patients with mild to moderate symptoms will be treated in primary health centres, those who are asymptomatic will be admitted to hostels and halls,” said Udupi additional deputy commissioner Sadashiva Prabhu.

He said a majority of the patients in Udupi were Maharashtra returnees and they were in home quarantine during swab collection. “Most of them were asymptomatic. Swab samples were taken a week ago and they must have all been cured by now,” Prabhu said.

State Cases Cross 4,000-mark
Bengaluru The total number of Covid-19 cases crossed the 4,000-mark in Karnataka with 267 new cases reported on Wednesday. This state’s tally now stands at 4,063 and with one more death, the death toll is 53. With 105 new cases, Kalaburgi has the maximum cases in the state (510), followed by Udupi (472). Bengaluru stands third with 417 cases. The deceased is a 80-year-old woman from Davangere, a contact of a Covid patient. Medical education minister K Sudhakar said that the government will look at sealing off the house where the patient resides rather than an entire area or colony. During his visit to Udupi to review the situation, Sudhakar said he will take up the matter with a high-powered committee.

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