Karnataka reported two more COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday, one from Kalaburagi and another from Dakshina Kannada, taking the toll to 33.
A 60-year-old man from a containment zone in Kalaburagi and a 58-year-old woman from Dakshina Kannada succumbed to the virus, even as 34 new positive cases on Wednesday increased the State’s tally to 959.
The Kalaburagi resident was brought dead to a designated hospital on May 11 and his samples later tested positive.
The woman from Dakshina Kannada, who was suffering from tuberculosis meningitis, was shifted from a private hospital to a government facility on April 24 and was being treated in the ICU. She succumbed to the infection on Wednesday.
Of the 34 new cases, a majority are from containment zones in various districts. The new cases include 12 from Bidar, eight from Kalaburagi, four from a single family in Hassan, two each from Davangere, Uttara Kannada, Vijayapura and Bengaluru Urban, and one each from Dakshina Kannada and Ballari.
While the four cases in Hassan have a travel history to Mumbai, the two cases in Bengaluru Urban, include a nurse from Victoria Hospital and a 24-year-old male who returned from London on Monday.
Following a meeting by Health Minister B. Sriramulu, with representatives from various private hospitals and speciality associations, private hospitals have agreed to start treatment of non-COVID-19 cases from Thursday.
This meeting was held in light of several complaints that patients are denied healthcare on the suspicion of having COVID-19.
The Minister agreed to consider fulfilling various demands of the private hospitals, including payment of arrears due to the hospitals towards treating patients under government health schemes.
Sero-survey in three districts soon
Following directions by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a serological survey will be conducted in three districts — Bengaluru Urban, Chitradurga and Kalaburgi.
Jawaid Akhtar, Additional Chief Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) said the survey was to estimate the prevalence of the infection in the community.
“Each district will have 10 clusters with 40 individuals in each clusters. The survey involves collection of 3-5 ml venous blood for tests to determine the presence of IgG antibody against COVID-19 using ELISA. All sera samples will be tested centrally at ICMR-National Institute of Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai,” he said.
