The Karnataka Health Department has issued an advisory to the public and a circular based on the COVID-19 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) recommendation to avert a surge in pneumonia cases in light of the reported rise in cases of the respiratory illness in China.
The department had directed TAC to conduct a review to the committee, headed by K. Ravi, head of the department of medicine, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, and TAC had met on Monday to discuss the State’s preparedness and precautionary measures.
The department has instructed district health officers to ensure that all health facilities in Health and Medical Education Department and all private health facilities report ILI and SARI cases on the IDSP-IHIP portal and ensure appropriate sample collection for diagnosis.
District Surveillance Units under DOs have been directed to closely monitor the trend of ILI and SARI cases and report any unusual increase immediately to the Health Department.
The circular stated: ensure the availability of stock of all required doses of Tab. Oseltamivir and other essential drugs for treatment and adequate stock of PPE for use by healthcare workers at all the health facilities. All hospitals that were designated to handle COVID-19 cases both in government and private shall immediately self-audit and conduct drills to evaluate for critical medical infrastructure and resources of medical and paramedical manpower, oxygen beds, isolation beds, ventilators, PSA plants, LMO plants, oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinders as well as medicines, PPE kits, N95 medical masks, testing kits, and lab facilities, ambulances etc., to assess for readiness to handle public health emergency due to pneumonias, particularly in children and the elderly.
If person thinks he has influenza and other such respiratory illnesses he should visit the nearest government healthcare centre, stay at home, not travel or go to work or school, use face mask for protection, avoid close contact with others for at least seven days after the symptoms begin or until symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer.
The department advisory states against self-medicating or taking medicines or antibiotics without consulting a doctor.
