Dakshina Kannada to be smoke-free district within a month: Nalin Kumar Kateel

Mangaluru, May 12: Two people hailing from Udupi district tested positive for covid-19 today. The sources of this infection is said to be Mangaluru's First Neuro Hospital.

Fresh bulletin from health and family welfare department revealed that a 52-year-old woman and a 26-year-old man from Karkala in Udupi were tested positive for the deadly coronavirus.

Among them, the woman had undergone treatment at the First Neuro Hospital. She is said to have contracted the infection from P-507 who was also was tested positive  April 27. And the youth was in touch with the woman.

The duo have not visited their home in Karkala for past few days. They were in quarantine and tested positive while being admitted at the same hospital.

With this the total number of COVID-19 cases found in Dakshina Kannada district are 33 now. Three among them have died and 14 have been discharged. Now, the district has 16 active coronavirus cases.

Mangaluru, Jun 12: A pregnant woman who returned from Maharashtra and tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday, gave birth to a child at the Wenlock COVID-19 hospital in Mangaluru. After she experienced labour pain, a team of expert doctors performed the delivery through the caesarean section on Thursday.

Both the woman and the new born are safe, hospital sources said. The woman, who belongs to Kinnigoli in Dakshina Kannada district, had arrived in the city on Monday. She was in an advanced stage of pregnancy and was taken to another hospital the next day after she complained of weakness.

As she came from Maharashtra, she was shifted to a separate ward at the Wenlock hospital and quarantined. Her throat swab samples tested positive on Wednesday. A COVID-19 test will be done on the baby after a few days, district health officer Ramachandra Bairy said.

Bengaluru, Jul 3: The Karnataka government is allowing select asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic Covid-19 patients to recuperate at home as part of home isolation guidelines, an official said on Friday.

"Only those who are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic shall be allowed to be in isolation at home," said a health official, highlighting that such patients should be properly oriented on home isolation.

However, before home isolation, a health team will visit the patient's house and assess its suitability for executing home isolation.

Similarly, the patient should be provided with a tele-consultation link for initial triage, daily follow up and during the entire home isolation time.

For a daily update, the patient isolated at home should give a report on his health status to the physician or health authorities.

"The home isolation shall be with the knowledge of the family members, neighbours, treating physician and local health authorities," said the official.

Though home isolation is allowed, it is not a blanket permission for all asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic cases in Karnataka to avail.

"Such cases should have the requisite facility at their residence for self-isolation and also for quarantining the family contacts. A care giver should be available to provide care on 24x7 basis," said the official.

Likewise, the caregiver should also have a regular communication link between him and the hospital during the home isolation.

No patient above 50 years will be allowed to avail home isolation.

"If the patient has the following comorbidities: hypertension, diabetes, obesity, thyroid disease, they shall be well managed and under good clinical control as assessed by medical officer," he said.

However, patients with comorbidities such as kidney diseases, dialysis, heart diseases, stroke, tuberculosis, cancer and HIV cannot avail home isolation.

Likewise, immunity compromised patients and those on steroids also cannot be on home isolation.

Though pregnant women are not allowed to avail this facility, lactating women are allowed after due instruction and assessment.

The Health Department has also issued several other guidelines and protocols for a patient choosing home isolation.