Among the 20 districts in Karnataka that have reported COVID-19 positive cases, the highest number of tests per million have been done in Mysuru district, while the lowest is in Belagavi district.
Mysuru district has conducted 902 tests per million, while Belagavi, with 162 tests per million, has fared the poorest among the 20 districts, according to the data available on Wednesday. Mysuru district has reported 88 COVID-19 positive cases, the second highest in the State after Bengaluru Urban (101 positive cases).
Officials of the Department of Health and Family Welfare point out that there is a need for the Belagavi districts administration to ramp-up tests as the district has reported 43 COVID-19 cases, the third highest in the State.
Although the highest number of tests β 6,430 β have been done in Bengaluru Urban, the tests per million stands at 668.
Karnataka has conducted 471 tests per million and nine districts are testing above the State average.
Giridhara R. Babu, professor and head, Lifecourse Epidemiology, Public Health Foundation of India, said Belagavi has detected 12% of the cases in the 60 and above age group, and the majority of them had a contact history. βThe elderly getting affected will have relatively poor outcomes. This is an important indicator in all districts as we move forward towards the end of the extended deadline for lockdown. It appears that the initial quarantine efforts were not successful when compared with a better performing district such as Mysuru. Belagavi is not doing well in terms of influenza-like illness and severe acute respiratory illness surveillance,β he said.
Dr. Babu also added that in Mysuru, 5% of the cases are in the 60+ age group, and nearly 82% of the infection was reported from contacts.