Karnataka to have dedicated helpline to address Covid woes

The health department will launch a dedicated helpline to guide Covid patients and clear any confusion among the citizens, following a spike in cases, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said on Friday.

The minister, who met the cabinet sub-committee on Covid, said that the helpline will be open to the public on Saturday.

Covid test mandatory

The department has also made Covid test mandatory for all senior citizens with influenza-like illness (ILI) and Covid-like symptoms.

“At present, only one in 20 ILI patients are being tested for Covid. However, we must detect Covid early, especially in the elderly. Hence, all the senior citizens with ILI having Covid-like symptoms will have to be tested for Covid,” the minister said. 

Similar to Kerala

Noting that the number of cases in the state was increasing by the day, the minister said that the trend was similar to what Kerala saw a few weeks back.

“Over the last few days, there has been an increase in the number of Covid cases. It was the same case with Kerala which is now seeing a declining trend,” he said, hinting that the state may also see a decline in the number of cases over the next few weeks.  

Focus on the elderly

The minister added that the government will keep a close watch on the elderly and increase monitoring measures to track their health. “Considering that they are at a higher risk, there is a need to monitor their condition. Hence, we will keep a close watch on their health even if they are under home isolation,” he said. 

He suggested that all the elderly get a clinical examination and a Covid test done if they suffer from Covid-like symptoms.