Mysuru’s COVID-19 graph is climbing at an alarming rate with cases reported daily having started crossing the three-digit mark, turning the authorities into battle mode to flatten the spiralling infection rate.
The curve had sharpened with 151 cases reported on Monday and 125 on Tuesday, sending a shock wave among the residents in the city which was one of the few places that had successfully battled the infection in the beginning losing none in the fight.
Mysuru had become “coronavirus-free” with zero cases, after a Nanjangud cluster alone reported over 70 cases resulting in stringent containment measures in the temple town.
Over the last four weeks, the infection has come back to haunt the district and health authorities with a steady spike in the cases. A total of 410 cases had been added to the overall tally in four days. Wednesday’s tally is also expected to cross the 100-mark.
Mysuru’s virus count had crossed the 1,000-mark with the cumulative cases standing at 1,091 and the active cases at 552 as on Tuesday. A total of 41 COVID-19 deaths had been reported so far and majority of the fatalities are linked to SARI and ILI.
Unlike other "high-risk" districts, no full lockdown has been enforced in the district and the authorities want the clampdown to be confined to areas reporting more cases and deaths.
Perturbed over the steeping curve, Mysuru Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G. Sankar has warned the private hospitals against denying treatment to the patients and directed that none should be turned away.
He asked them to treat the infected patients referred by the designated COVID-19 Hospital, which is a 250-bed facility and cannot alone handle all the infected patients, and other government hospitals. He warned of action against the hospitals that flout the order under the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act.
Even as some asymptomatic are being home isolated as per the new guidelines, most government hospitals are getting packed to their capacity with daily numbers crossing the 100-mark.
Some private hospitals have started testing and treatment of the patients but the government believes that it was inadequate considering the increasing tally. The hospitals need to prepare for the unprecedented situation and come forward to extend a helping hand in this hour of crisis by opening their facilities for the treatment.
Symptomatic patients and patients with complications need to be treated in hospitals having ICU facilities for round-the-clock monitoring. Though sufficient beds are available for asymptomatic patients with COVID-19 Care Centres developed at KSOU building (650 beds) and also in some government hostels, the government wants more beds set aside in private hospitals in a bid to stop deaths.
Some fatalities are baffling the doctors since the patients breathed their last within a few minutes after shifting to the designated hospitals.
A high-level team from Bengaluru was in Mysuru a few days ago to study what’s causing so many deaths especially at the K.R. Hospital which is handling SARI and ILI cases.
