With 4,169 new cases, Karnataka records highest spike; tally above 50,000

Karnataka recorded its highest ever number of Covid-19 cases and deaths with 4,169 cases and 104 deaths reported on Thursday. The death toll crossed 1,000-mark. 2,344 cases (56.22%) were reported in Bengaluru alone indicating that the city's lockdown was a measure taken too late. 70 Covid-19 patients died in the state capital.

The state's tally is more than 50,000 now with the cumulative figures reaching 51,422. Karnataka is fourth worst affected by Covid-19 in the country, only behind Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Delhi in the total number of positive cases.

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The number of active cases also breached the 30,000 mark with 30,655 active cases. There have been 1,032 deaths in the state apart from six Covid-19 patients dying due to non-Covid-19 reasons. There have been 19,729 discharges so far. 539 patients are in the ICU with Bengaluru alone accounting for 317 patients needing intensive care. Bengaluru's positivity rate is 12.37 per cent. Apart from Bengaluru's four digit rise in new cases, seven districts reported cases in triple figures -- Dakshina Kannada, Dharwad, Vijayapura, Mysuru, Kalaburagi, Udupi, and Raichur.

Hephsiba Rani Korlapati, the special officer of the BBMP Covid-19 war room, explained that one reason for the surge in cases is the increased testing. The state tested 23,451 samples on Thursday. "Our testing base has increased in the last fortnight, that is, testing of primary contacts and ILI/SARI cases. Also, the cases are not a reflection of the samples tested on that particular day as it takes days to collect sample, test and update the data.

"We have field level teams who have been continuously screening and testing ILI and SARI cases, first with ASHAs and then with the booth level teams constituted now. Largescale testing is a major factor for increased number of cases," Korlapati told DH.

Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar said testing will further be ramped up in the coming days and added, "We conducted 23,451 tests in a single day today and 9,25,477 tests in the state so far. In the next seven to ten days, testing capacity will be enhanced to conduct 40,000 to 50,000 tests per day."

Mortality rate crosses 2%

Even as the central team that had visited Karnataka a few days back urged the state to bring down the mortality rate to below 1%, the state's mortality rate crossed 2 per cent in Bengaluru (2.01%) and is 2 per cent in Karnataka. Among the 104 deaths that were reported in the bulletin on Thursday, the earliest death occured on June 26. As many as 12 patients died at their homes who got no chance of recovery as they never got to a hospital before becoming severely ill. One patient was brought dead.

Dr CN Manjunath, state's nodal officer for lab testing told DH, "We are in discussion with intensivists to introduce drugs like Remdesvir in the treatment protocol that will bring down mortality rate. 30 per cent of Covid-19 patients, who have died, had no comorbidities but the inflammation is intense. There is widespread clot formation in the lungs and heart.

We are giving clot dissolving medicines and dexamethasone as per international protocol. Many patients have been given Remdesvir also. We are also now indicating the amount of viral load in the test reports indicating that they need to be monitored closely. Some people with high viral load have no symptoms surprisingly."

At least those who have symptoms and high viral load should be hospitalised and get intensive care. Many of these patients deteriorate in a mere 48-hour time period, Manjunath said.