New Study Shows Covid Infection In Half Of Karnataka’s Population

Bengaluru: A new study has shown that nearly half of Karnataka’s population may have been exposed to the Coronavirus by August-end this year.

According to a sero surveillance study carried out by IDFC Institute between June 15 and August 29, it is not just Bengaluru that bore the brunt of the viral attack. The study shows that Coronavirus affected rural areas as severely as urban places with 44.1% of the rural population getting exposed to the virus while 53.8% in urban areas may have had Covid-19.

The study attributes the migration of workers from cities to villages following the March lockdown as one reason for the spread of Covid-19 to rural areas. Another factor it says was that rural areas saw fewer restrictions with regards to mobility as agricultural activity was considered an essential sector.

The samples were drawn from 9717 households from 20 out of the 30 districts in Karnataka. “Our data shows high levels of active infections and transmission, especially in urban areas of Mysuru and coastal districts during our study period-where 9.7% to 10.5% of individuals tested positive for current infection,” Anup Malani of the University of Chicago, who was part of the study, was quoted in the media.

The study recommended “frequent testing in exchange for permitting productive economic activity in the state. As the government considers relaxing restrictions on economic activity, it is critical to continue efforts to promote mask wearing, hand washing, and communicating the significance of COVID complications to individuals who are at risk.”

Just a few days back, the State government released details of the survey it had conducted. This survey estimated that 27.3% or 1.93 crore people in Karnataka had been exposed to the coronavirus as of September 16. This study was conducted between September 3 to 16 across 30 districts in the state and had drawn samples from over 16,500 persons. 

Meanwhile, the state reported 2362 new Covid cases Tuesday with Bengaluru alone contributing 1176 positive patients. The state reported 20 deaths taking the toll to 11430.

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