While the number of deaths in the State has seen an increase over the last few days, the average case fatality rate (CFR) for Karnataka remains 1.2% as on June 12.

Although the number of positive cases in the State jumped from 1,246 on May 18 [when the lockdown restrictions were eased] to 6,516 on June 12, the CFR has come down from 2.96% on May 18 to 1.2 % on June 12.

Similarly, in the country, the number of COVID-19 cases increased from 1,00,800 on May 18 to 3,09,556 on June 12 and the number of deaths jumped from 3,156 to 8,890 during this period. However, the CFR during this period reduced from 3.13% to 2.8 %. While Gujarat has the highest CFR at 6.2%, Karnataka’s CFR is much lesser than the national average of 2.8%.

Claiming that Karnataka has been successful and staying ahead of other states in ensuring low CFR, Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar told The Hindu on Saturday that “it has been possible due to effective planning, early detection, vigorous and effective contact tracing and a very high level of testing.”

Besides, initiatives such as community involvement, setting up fever clinics, use of technology, surveillance system for ILI / SARI cases and critical care support have helped Karnataka to keep the CFR low, he said.

“We have adopted an unified treatment approach in hospitals across the State. We have put in place a critical care support unit that comprises specialist doctors from private and government hospitals. This team that works around-the-clock in four shifts monitors critical patients in the districts through telemedicine. The aim is to prevent deaths,” the Minister said.

V. Ravi, senior professor and head of Neurovirology at NIMHANS, who is part of the State’s COVID-19 expert committee, said the low CFR is because most of those who are testing positive are asymptomatic.

Admitting that Bengaluru alone has reported over 35% of the total 81 deaths in the State, the doctor said it is because people are reporting late.

“Late reporting is one of the main reasons. And, almost all those who died are aged patients with comorbidities. It is important that people report early, as soon as they develop symptoms, to hospitals,” he said.

However, C.N. Manjunath, director of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, who is the nodal officer for labs and testing in the State’s COVID-19 task force, said it is too early to say if Karnataka will maintain the low CFR in the days to come.

“In the country, 82% of all the deaths have been reported from five States [Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh] which also have a high case load. We will have to wait and watch regarding Karnataka’s rate,” the doctor added.