JOIN USKarnataka's tally of positive COVID-19 cases goes up to 101, two in ICU, one on ventilator
Karnataka recorded eight new COVID-19 cases today taking the state tally to 101. Also, the three patients from Hosapete in Ballari district, all from the same family, who tested positive late in the evening on Tuesday, have no international travel history or contact with an infected patient, pointing to yet another possible example of community transmission. The daily bulletin released by the department merely pointed to travel to Bengaluru in mid-March as the cause for infection.
Asked which COVID-19 patient this family was in touch with, as all patients in Bengaluru (37) are in isolation, in designated health facilities, Jawaid Akhtar, Additional Chief Secretary, Health, Karnataka, had no definitive answer again and strongly denied community transmission. "The family must have been in touch with some COVID-19 patient in Rajajinagar or Rajarajeshwarinagar. I am not sure. Again, this isn't a case of community transmission. Community transmission is when the source of infection is not known in a large group of people. but we are able to isolate and quarantine people who are primary and secondary contacts of patients."
Akhtar gave the same answer for Mysuru's Nanjangud cluster. "The cluster is under control," he said. An investigation is underway to ascertain the cause of the transmission. P95 and 96, who are among the eight cases reported on Tuesday, are residents of Mysuru, who had contact with P52 and belong to the Nanjangud cluster of the Pharma company.
It is still unclear how Patient number 52 contracted the virus, as he has no travel history and neither is he a direct contact of someone who does. Yesterday, it was announced that the pharma company was looking at transmission due to infected packages from China. Akhtar has confirmed that the packages received from China are not the source of COVID-19 in this cluster. The source of the infection is yet to be discovered. "We are looking at whether the Pharma company had visitors from abroad who could have infected the employees," he said. India suspended tourist visas days before the lockdown.
Two patients are now in the ICU.
Along with one patient who was put on ventilator last night, P47, two other patients are in the ICU -- P43 and P101. While there are no details available about P101 with the department like her travel history, all it knows so far is that she is a 62-year-old woman who is a resident of Bengaluru.
The state has 90 active cases so far. This includes three deaths and eight discharges.
It has also been decided that Hydroxychloquine prophylaxis will be given to all health workers and contacts in the entire state.
"It has to be given weekly -- 400 mg for three weeks. it has to be given for seven weeks for health workers, and three weeks for family members. We have stock for the first dose and we have ordered for a large stock beyond our requirement. It will reach in a couple of days. Cargo is moving," said Akhtar. Hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis remains a controversial choice as it increases the chance of arrhythmia for those with a history of heart ailments.
Among the eight new cases, four are from Bengaluru and one each from Chikkaballapura, Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, and Kalaburagi. The Kalaburagi patient is the wife of the doctor who treated India's first COVID-19 casualty.
Tablighi Jamaat
"Tablighi Jamaat of Delhi has become a major source of COVID-19 spread. If you attended the congregation, please call 080-29711171. The congregation was held between March 8th and March 20th. 78 people attended the congregation. All have been quarantined. All Deputy Commissioners have been given orders," Akhtar said.
"I cannot say for sure all 78 participated in Tablighi Jamaat. Sira patient was one among them. Delhi did not send us a list. Many of them claim they have completed a 14-day quarantine period, but we will take all their swab samples," Akhtar added.