H1N1 continues to haunt Karnataka; hundreds of positive cases reported in coastal districts

coastaldigest.com news network

May 13, 2019

Even though the number of H1N1 cases have come down in the last two weeks, there seems to be no respite from the air borne disease in Karnataka. As many as 56 deaths and 1,556 positive cases have been reported in the first four months of this year. In the whole of last year, 87 deaths and 1,733 cases were reported.

At 235, the highest number of positive cases are from Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) areas, according to statistics from the State Health and Family Welfare Department. Last year, 423 positive cases and two deaths were reported in BBMP limits.

The other districts where more H1N1 positive cases reported are Udupi (231), Dakshina Kannada (171), Shivamogga (145), and Mysuru (125). While Davangere has reported the highest number of deaths (10), Chitradurga and Shivamogga have reported six deaths each, followed by Uttara Kannada (5) and Mysuru (4).

While 39 deaths had been recorded till May 5, the State-level H1N1 death audit committee that met on May 4 confirmed 17 more H1N1 deaths, taking the toll to 56.

While there were 15 deaths in 2017 and no deaths in 2016, the State had witnessed 94 H1N1 deaths in 2015 and 3,565 positive cases. The number was significantly lower in 2014 with 303 positive cases and 34 deaths.

S. Sajjan Shetty, Joint Director (Communicable Diseases), said the numbers are high because more people are getting screened now. “As there are minor shifts and drifts in the strains of the virus that cause the infection, immunity against the disease does not last for more than eight to nine months. Last year, it was the California strain that caused the influenza, this time it is the Michigan strain,” the official said.

The total number of positive cases shot up from 210 reported in the middle week of April to 256 in the last week of April. Subsequently, the numbers came down to 221 and 254 in the last two weeks. However, the deaths have increased from 39 to 56. “People neglect and report late to hospitals resulting in deaths,” Dr. Shetty said.

As H1N1 is airborne, the virus thrives in thickly populated regions where floating population is high. There is no need for people to panic as the disease is no longer new and can be treated if detected early, he said. “People can also call the State helpline 104 to seek information and help,” Dr. Shetty said.

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43 people who attended wedding including bride, groom test covid positive

News Network

July 26,2020

Kasaragod, Jul 26: First funeral, now wedding. Forty-three persons who attended a wedding at Pilankatta in Chengala panchayat in Kasaragod on July 17 have tested positive for Covid-19, said district medical officer (DMO) A V Ramdas.

They include the bride and the groom. Collector D Sajith Babu has asked all those who attended the wedding to go into home quarantine for 14 days. Those with Covid symptoms should get in touch with the nearest primary health centre, he said.

The DMO said samples of 128 persons linked to the wedding were tested, of which 43 turned out positive. Earlier, 44 persons who attended a funeral in Cherkala in the first week of July had tested positive. The funeral was declared a cluster and the government had to test 522 persons linked to the funeral.

The collector said those taking part in funeral or weddings without following the Covid protocol would be booked under the Kerala Epidemic Diseases Act. If convicted, they would face up to two years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of `10,000. Kasaragod police said they will register a case in connection with the wedding.

Pilankatta ward member Abdulla Kunhi K B said it was not a big fat wedding. The ceremony held at the bride’s house at Pilankatta was attended by less than 100 people, he said.“Theirs is a big family with four houses in one compound.

As many as 30 members are staying in these houses,” said Kunhi. Nine of the 30 have tested positive.Of the 15 guests, who came from the bride’s mother’s house, 12 contracted the infection. “The rest of the infected persons were among the groom’s guests,” said Kunhi, who did not attend the wedding. The groom and the bride’s father returned from Dubai three months ago.

1,049: state records biggest recovery
A total of 1,049 Covid patients recovered on Saturday. This is the first time that the number of recoveries crossed the 1,000-mark in the state. The previous highest was 968 reported on Friday. So far, as many as 8,613 patients have recovered.

roping in ayush experts a challenge
Plan to bring AYUSH practitioners for treating positive patients at CFLTCs is going to be a challenge for the government. It turned out that respective associations were planning to approach the government with an individual charter of demands.

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‘Apologize or face defamation suit’: Karnataka BJP sends legal notice to DKS, Siddaramaiah

News Network

July 31,2020

Bengaluru, July 31: Denying irregularities in covid-19 equipment purchase by the Karnataka government, the state unit of the BJP has issued legal notices to Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar demanding that they apologize or face a defamation suit.

The notices seek a public apology for the allegations levelled against the government on irregularities in the procurement of Covid-19 equipment and supplies.

Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, the Karnataka Congress president, have been doggedly pursuing allegations of corruption against the BJP government and have demanded a judicial inquiry.

BJP general secretary N Ravi Kumar said that while the Congress leaders claimed that Rs 4,157 crore was spent during Covid-19, they also allege that the government has not responded to any of the 20 letters written by them. "If the government has not provided any answer to the Opposition, where did they get the figures from," he said.

None of the allegations of corruption is specific and the statements made are factually incorrect. "These statements, without any basis, have been issued calculatedly to lower the image and damage the reputation of the government, the Bharatiya Janata Party, representatives of the party and the ministers in the government," the notice issued on behalf of Ravi Kumar read.

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Muslims in UP fear lynching post lockdown due to intense communaliation of corona

News Network

April 13,2020

Lucknow, Apr 13: Muslims in Uttar Pradesh are now worried that the intense communal profiling of the Corona patients by the official agencies could lead to lynching incidents once the lockdown is lifted.

Muslim scholar and former SP spokesman, Abdul Hafiz Gandhi, on Monday said, "The manner in which the government agencies are identifying persons belonging to Tablighi Jamaat in the list of Covid-19 patients is now translating into intense communal profiling which has been prohibited by the World Health Organization and the central government. A very small percentage of Muslims subscribe to the Tablighi Jamaat ideology but the impression going around is that the Muslim community, in general, is spreading coronavirus."

He said that there was a strong possibility of Muslims, in general, being attacked after the lockdown is lifted.

"This is exactly what happened on the cow slaughter issue. Even a small rumour led to people being lynched by mobs across the country. Corona is a pandemic and should be treated like one. We should fight against the virus together instead of creating a communal divide. Every day, the government spokesman lays down the number of Corona positive cases and then goes on to say how many of them are from Tablighi Jamaat," he explained.

Amir Haider, a social activist and also a veteran Congress leader, echoed similar sentiments when he said, "We strongly condemn the Tablighi Jamaat for ignoring the protocols and holding the congregation but why is the state government repeatedly harping on the religious angle. Shia and Sunni clerics are repeatedly asking the people to adhere to government guidelines and follow safety protocols.

He said that efforts to create a communal divide on the corona issue could have dangerous ramification after the lockdown is lifted."

A retired IAS officer, who did not wish to be named, said, that people have already started objecting to taking home deliveries from Muslim employees.

"My neighbours refused to take delivery of groceries from a Muslim boy. This is just the beginning of the narrative that is being drilled into the minds. We must check this before it explodes into something very dangerous," he said.

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