Mystery COVID-19 cases in Karnataka leave govt worried

Mystery COVID-19 cases of Karnataka are giving the Karnataka government jitters with the health department unable to identify the source even days after their hospitalisation. Their infected cluster is becoming bigger.

There are at least 10 cases where they have no travel history, international or domestic, have no contact with infected cases, nor any know contact with their primary and secondary contacts. And yet, the state is denying community transmission.

BBMP

For example, out of the 16 cases reported on Thursday, P196 and P197 who are 42-year-old and 27-year-old men respectively, residing in BBMP areas, have only been identified as those suffering from SARI - Severe Acute Respiratory Infection. There is no information on their travel history or contact history. Asked if after so many cases of SARI, these can be considered examples of community transmission, spokesperson for COVID-19 in Karnataka, Minister S Suresh Kumar, denied it, saying not all SARI cases are devoid of travel history.

"One SARI case P195 is a 66-year-old man who travelled from Manipur to Bengaluru on March 12," he said. However, in this case, it has already been 27 days before he tested positive for COVID-19, well after the presumed window period of 14 days.

P101, a 62-year-old woman from Bengaluru who is still on ventilator, has no known travel history or contact history. A detailed investigation is on in her case, says Kumar.

Gadag

P166, the 80-year-old woman who died in the wee hours on Thursday, has also been identified as a meeting case of SARI. The source of infection is yet to be known as all her family members and contacts, 42 in all, have tested negative. The test results of 11 others are awaited.

Mysuru

Details are yet to be ascertained for P158, a 26-year-old man from Mysuru. Despite a detailed investigation, health officials have still been unable to find out the cause of infection in the Nanjangud case of a pharma company employee. "The 35-year-old man (patient number 52), who did not have any foreign travel or contact history, tested positive on March 26, and so far has infected 36 others," said Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar.

P52 spread the infection to his wife and father-in-law including to several of his colleagues. They are all managers in mid-level positions in the company. The department even took samples from the packages that the company got from China. But it did not yield the source.

P137 is a 39-year-old man from Mysuru about whom 'detailed investigation is under process'. The same explanation has been given for P139, a 40-year-old man from Mysuru.

Bagalkot

P125 is a 75-year-old man who died. The source for his infection is still being determined in a 'detailed investigation under process'.

Bengaluru Urban

P102 is a 24-year-old man from Bengaluru where his source of infection is being ascertained in a 'detailed investigation'. The man was recently weaned off a ventilator. He is the youngest to be put on a ventilator in the state.

Ballari

P89 (52-year-old man), P90 (48-year-old woman) and P91 (26-year-old woman) from Hosapete in Ballari travelled to Bengaluru but their source of infection is yet to be found.