An analysis of people with COVID-19 over the last seven days has revealed that the positivity rate is higher among the symptomatic when compared to those who have no symptoms.

Data from the State COVID-19 war room shows that the positivity rate among the symptomatic is 34.8%, while it is 13.4% among asymptomatic carriers of the virus.

Across Karnataka, 42,348 tests were done on people with symptoms similar to that of COVID-19 over the last seven days. Of these, 14,718 tested positive. While 8,703 tested positive after RT-PCR test was conducted on them, the remaining tested positive after a rapid antigen test was carried out.

Meanwhile, 2,40,858 tests were conducted on people suspected to have COVID-19, but with no symptoms. Only 32,259 patients tested positive. While 20,805 tested positive through the RT-PCR, the remaining got their results through rapid antigen testing. In some districts, the difference is more pronounced. Udupi, Shivamogga, and Vijayapura, for instance, have a positivity rate of above 48% for symptomatic patients.

Districts such as Belagavi and Ballari have the highest percentage of asymptomatic patients. And while Shivamogga has a high positivity rate among symptomatic patients, it also falls in the districts with the highest percentage of asymptomatic people. The positivity rate of these three districts range between 18.5 % and 21.7%. Even though the positivity rate among asymptomatic patients is lower when compared to the symptomatic category, health experts point out that there is an urgent need to expand testing and also develop a strategy for tracking asymptomatic cases.

Giridhar R. Babu, member of the State’s COVID-19 Technical Advisory Committee, said that asymptomatic patients could fall under three broad categories: the first one includes who are not ill, the second category (pre-symptomatic) includes those who develop symptoms later, while the third category includes those who have “atypical symptoms” of COVID-19. “People who are presymptomatic or have atypical symptoms have a high viral load and are likely to spread the infection,” said Dr. Babu.

Meanwhile, doctors on COVID-19 duty said that there was a need for the State government to further analyse the data of asymptomatic patients. “Without identifying the break up of the three sub groups among asymptomatic patients, it is tough to make any policy decision. The State should consider testing all asymptomatic primary contacts of symptomatic cases,” a doctor said.