K’taka to conduct state-level COVID-19 prevalence survey

PTI, Aug 21, 2020, 8:54 AM IST

Bengaluru: Karnataka government on Thursday, August 20 said it will conduct a survey to estimate the prevalence of COVID-19 across the state and the proportion of people who have developed an immunity.

“The survey, which will involve adults over the age of 18, will cover 38 units, including all districts of Karnataka and
eight zones of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP),” the state health department said in a release here.

The state’s COVID-19 tally stood at 2,56,975 while the death toll is 4,429 as of Thursday.

A training program for this purpose was inaugurated on Thursday by Health and Family Welfare Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey.

“District Surveillance Officers, District Tuberculosis Officers, Epidemiologists, and personnel of Integrated
Counselling and Testing Centres under NACO (National Aids Control Organisation) are covered under the training.
The survey data is expected to guide further state interventions for COVID-19 management,” the release said.

The survey, dates of which are yet to be announced, will include samples from populations at three risk levels —
low, moderate, and high.

The Low-risk category would include pregnant women and persons attending the outpatient department in hospitals or attendees of children or patients.

Moderate to high-risk populations will include bus conductors, vegetable vendors, healthcare workers, individuals
in containment zones and in public areas such as markets, malls, bus stops, and railway stations and the elderly and
those with comorbid conditions.

“Data for the survey will be collected using an app to register patients, update sample collection status and lab
results,” the release added.