Despite Karnataka CM’s advice, 75% of Covid cases in home isolation

MANGALURU: Though Dakshina Kannada district has 36 Covid care centres (CCC) with nearly 2,700 beds, a majority of the people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus are reluctant to go to these government facilities.

While the district has nearly 3,308 active cases, 2,465, which is 75% of them, are in home isolation as on Wednesday. While 643 people have been admitted to various hospitals, only about 200 are in CCCs in the district.

Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai in his recent visit to the district, had directed officials to shift a majority of the cases to CCCs or hospitals through proper triage by medical officers.

DHO Dr Kishore Kumar M told TOI that health staff have been convincing people to shift to CCCs.

“We have been facing resistance from people when they are asked to shift to CCCs. Our staff have been reaching out to people who have got infected, and are trying to convince them to shift to CCCs. It is difficult to manage home isolation cases, as health staff will have to visit every house to monitor the health status of infected persons. Similarly, our staff have to trace the primary contacts of all positive cases, and monitor them also. Further, they have to conduct visits repeatedly, if primary contacts also test positive. Hence, the management of cases and prevention of the spread of the disease is very easy when a majority of the cases are either in CCCs or hospitals. We have directed health staff to compulsorily shift all positive cases with comorbidities and vulnerable to CCCs,” the DHO said.

Dr Ashok H, nodal officer for Covid-19 in Dakshina Kannada, said the cooperation of the public is important when it comes to the prevention of the spread of Covid-19. “People should follow the instructions of doctors when they are asked to shift to CCCs or hospitals. People should avail treatment at CCCs or hospitals and get treatment as per the medical officers’ advice. Patients with comorbidities like diabetes, hypertension and malignancy should compulsorily get admitted to CCCs or hospitals,” he added.