The Health Department and the Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat will begin a mega COVID-19 testing exercise in all 228 gram panchayats in the district from Monday [September 28].
The testing will be done on dates given to the respective panchayats, according to Selvamani. R., Chief Executive Officer, Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat. It is to detect the infection early and prevent the spread of the virus and deaths, he said.
Mr. Selvamani said that people, whether symptomatic or asymptomatic, can get themselves tested voluntarily and the exercise will be conducted for more than a week.
Ramachandra Bairy, District Health and Family Welfare Officer, said that an early diagnosis of COVID-19, especially among those who had co-morbidities, helped in preventing the condition from worsening. Many patients with co-morbidities approached doctors very late thus risking their lives. Those with a poor immune syste should get r̥tested early, he said.
The DHO said that many young people thought that they had strong immunity and hence there was no need to wear masks in public, or to follow social distancing and take other precautions. He said that such people, who might be asymptomatic, might carry the infection to senior citizens at their homes with or without co-morbidities.
The district reported 494 deaths owing to COVID-19 and co-morbidities till Friday. Some of the victims are from outside Dakshina Kannada. The district is third in the State in terms of deaths after Bengaluru [2,794] and Mysuru [715] . The district had 4,957 active cases till September 25.
Dr. Bairy said that community involvement and support is required to contain the spread of the virus. Other departments and local organisations should join hands to ensure a good response for the testing.
The department will also plan such testing in the jurisdiction of urban local bodies after some days, the DHO added.