As cases dip, questions remain on Covid testing in Karnataka

Bengaluru With a steady decline in new infections, Karnataka’s Covid-19 positivity rate dropped further down to 7

Bengaluru With a steady decline in new infections, Karnataka’s Covid-19 positivity rate dropped further down to 7.71% on Sunday, an indication that the ongoing second wave is waning.

HT Image

But the visible decline has also come under question on more than one occasion which points towards the possibility of a smaller range of targeted testing for more desirable results.

On Sunday, there were 158,274 tests conducted in the state, including 115,041 RT-PCR, according to the daily bulletin of the state health department.

“With 1,58,274 tests and 12,209 new cases in the last 24 hours Karnataka’s positivity rate falls to 7.71%. 25,659 recoveries were reported in the state today including 10,224 in Bengaluru taking the total recoveries to 24,09,417,” Dr K Sudhakar, Karnataka’s minister for health, family welfare and medical education said on Sunday.

In comparison, neighbouring Kerala continues to see a higher number of cases despite testing lower numbers, indicating the possibility if Karnataka’s testing strategy requires a re-look.

Kerala reported a positivity rate of 14.27% with 1,02,792 tests on Sunday.

Karnataka is currently focusing on targeted testing that include groups like primary and secondary contacts as well as symptomatic persons.

However, there is little focus on random testing, raising concerns since the majority of all Covid-19 infected persons are asymptomatic and could be carriers of the virus.

“Random testing has to be continued. No question about it. People who are reporting for duty from other places, that (testing) has to be made compulsory,” Dr CN Manjunath, cardiologist and director of Sri Jayadeva. Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research said.

He added that people who work in Bengaluru but have since returned home due to the lockdown, should be tested as they could be “asymptomatic carriers.”

The Congress party in Karnataka maintains that the decline in cases is “artificial” and does not represent the true picture on the ground.

Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa on June 3 had said that the government will consider the lifting of the lockdown if the positivity rate comes down to below 5%.

The average positivity rate over the last seven days in Bengaluru (as on June 5) is 5.20% but a majority of the districts have a significantly higher average, data from the state Covid-19 war room shows.

The seven day average positivity rate (until 5 pm on June 5) in Mysuru is 25.16%, 22.77% in Chikmagalur, 19.94% in Davangere, 17.37% in Dakshina Kannada, 17.07% in Chamarajanagar, 16.85% in Chitradurga and 16.74% in Uttara Kannada, data shows.

Like most urban centres globally, Bengaluru was among the first to witness a surge in Karnataka. But the infection spread to other districts since there is significant movement between large cities like Bengaluru, Mysuru and other places and small towns for various reasons including employment or business.

Similarly, Bengaluru, which peaked early is also expected to decline faster than the others. But in a state like Karnataka, where a significant number of people from across the state travel to Bengaluru, experts worry about a reversal of the process.

“Although the numbers are coming down, it has to be sustained for another week,” Dr Manjunath said.

“Suppose if you uniformly lift the lockdown, then there is a chance that people will start coming from these districts to Benglauru and again cycle can be repeated,” Manjunath, who is also a member of Karnataka’s taskforce on Covid-19, said.

He said, in his personal opinion, it would be better to extend the lockdown period beyond June 14 in some districts.

Yediyurappa is expected to hold a significant meeting with the technical advisory committee (TAC), ministers and other senior officials in Bengaluru on Monday on the Covid situation.