COVID-19: All SARI and comorbid ILI patients in Karnataka to be tested mandatorily

The State Cabinet sub-committee on COVID that held its second meeting on Friday has decided to ensure closer monitoring of elderly and comorbid patients who are under home isolation. This is in the wake of COVID being found as an incidental finding in many those who died. A COVID helpline will be launched on Saturday, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said.

Briefing mediapersons after chairing the meeting, Mr. Gundu Rao said that following the COVID-19 Technical Advisory Committee’s (TAC) recommendations all SARI and comorbid ILI patients will be compulsorily tested for COVID. So far, one in 20 ILI patients has been tested. “Health officials will be instructed to keep a close watch on elderly and those with comorbidities who test positive,” he said.

State reports 328 new COVID cases

Karnataka on Friday reported 328 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of active cases to 1,159.

Of these 72 patients have been hospitalised. While nine are being treated in ICUs, three patients have been put on ventilators.

As many as 7,205 tests were done in the last 24 hours of which 6,418 are RTPCR tests. With this, the day’s test positivity rate stood at 4.55%.

As many as 409 patients were discharged from hospitals on Friday.

Pointing out that COVID is on a decline in Kerala, the Minister said, “Karnataka is conducting around 7,000 tests a day and the test positivity rate is high around 3.82%. We are expecting a decline in Karnataka from next week,” he said, adding that the State Death Audit Committee has been asked to submit weekly death audit reports. 

No change in clinical protocols

Meanwhile, the TAC has not recommended any changes in the clinical protocols for those with comorbidities. “The existing national protocols should be followed with aggressive treatment of comorbidities. What is most important is that those with comorbidities should take timely treatment and keep their comorbid conditions under good control,” TAC sources said.

“Besides, the elderly and comorbid patients are advised to get hospitalised if they test positive. They should not wait till they develop complications. There are enough COVID beds available in hospitals,” sources said.

While not recommending any revision in the testing strategy, the TAC has said there is no need to test asymptomatic persons including contacts of positive patients. “Only such contacts who have comorbidities should be evaluated,” the TAC recommended.

Prison inmates to be hospitalised

The TAC has recommended that any prisoner testing positive should be admitted to a hospital and managed accordingly. “Unlike home isolation, there is no prison isolation. It is advisable that the prisoner is managed clinically in the hospital to avoid spread of the infection within the prison,” sources added.