Karnataka, with its deft handling of Covid-19 backed by technology and professionalism, has been standing tall among the States with good recovery rate and least mortality. The State’s Covid in-charge and Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar explained the State’s virus strategy in an interaction with BusinessLine . Excerpts:

Karnataka has one of the lowest mortality rates of the Covid-19 pandemic. What steps did your department take to ensure that the rate stays low?

Karnataka has been one of the few States that have fared considerably better than the national average on a number of parameters. We started much earlier than the others did. One of our earlier successes was setting up an inter-ministerial team, bringing together a multitude of government organisations and planning ahead. This helped us carry out extremely rigorous and accurate contact tracing that has helped limit the spread. Perhaps that is the only reason why Bengaluru is the only major city that is not among the most affected cities in the country today.

What was the reason for changing the strategy mid-way to test only symptomatic patients?

Our own study has shown that the probability of getting infected from asymptomatic persons is at least 5-10 times lesser compared to getting infected from symptomatic persons. The virus spread per patient in asymptomatic cases is only 0.11 per cent compared to 1.42 per cent in symptomatic cases. Additionally, the death rate is very low among asymptomatic persons. In an effort to be abundantly cautionary, we have ensured that all migrants undergo a quarantine, even if they are asymptomatic. We have observed that over 97 per cent of the active cases in the State were asymptomatic. Yet, considering that number, there is no major spread of the cases. We must also point out that while we are striving for better recovery rates, the rate in Bengaluru (50 per cent) is a notch higher than the national average of 49.21 per cent.

What if there is community transmission? There are reports that recoveries are happening at a slower pace while admissions have picked up. Is the State prepared to handle such a scenario?

We have not observed any community spread as of now, but have the infrastructure in place to manage such an eventuality. Of all the people who tested positive, 50 per cent are on the road to recovery, and of the other 50 per cent, a good majority (97 per cent) are asymptomatic and only a few (3 per cent) require critical treatment. However, in case it does happen, we have observed that a majority of cases were caused due to the infections spreading from migrants, especially those who returned from Maharashtra. Of the 6,245 cases in the State, 3,374, (54 per cent) were those who returned from Maharashtra. We started with putting migrants in quarantine for three weeks (one week institutional and two weeks at home), but now we put them in a two-week home quarantine. If the person is Covid-positive, then his house will be sealed.

This brings us to the issue of migrants. What strategy do you have in place for those who are entering into Karnataka?

This is a situation we have to face. Our guidelines are in place. So instead of denying them entry, we are monitoring the migrants, checking them at entry points, and identifying those who could be infected so that we can monitor their progress and ensure they are quarantined.

One of the main issues that States are facing is lack of hospital infrastructure. What is the situation in Karnataka?

Karnataka is well poised to handle a spike in Covid infections. With 31 hospitals and 578 healthcare centres, apart from the dedicated private facilities, the State has adequate infrastructure. This is probably one of the few States with more than 70 Covid-19 test labs. We have advised all persons with ILI and SARI symptoms to get tested and those above 60 years to stay indoors as much as possible. Those taking care of the elderly have been asked to monitor their wards for any symptoms and get medical help should there be any signs of the disease. Karnataka has adequate medical professionals deployed as of now. Our normal hiring process is an ongoing exercise and will happen as scheduled. However, we have planned for contingencies and, if need be, can do emergency recruitment of medical professionals.

What is the reason for not roping in private hospitals for the treatment of Covid-19 patients? Will the government intervene if hospitals do not admit or treat the patients?

With the number of beds in government hospitals at our disposal, we don’t need private hospitals to provide any infrastructure or support at this juncture. If there is a spurt in cases and if we foresee an unmanageable load, we will rope them in as we did for testing. Of the 71 testing labs, 30 are being run by private institutions. If there are cases where the patients are not being treated, we will surely intervene.

You have increased the number of labs in the State, but testing itself is grossly inadequate. Are there any plans to increase that number?

I think we have adequate testing happening. With 71 labs operational, we have conducted more than 4.18 lakh tests so far. We can easily handle anywhere between 12,000- 15,000 tests per day, and if need be, can add more labs.

Does the State government have enough funds to fight the disease? Or, are you looking for more funds from the Centre?

Our Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has already stated that funds are not an issue when it comes to battling Covid-19. The government has allotted sufficient funds to beef up the healthcare infrastructure, build a formidable frontline organisation and for contact-tracing, among other things.

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