Seven new coronavirus reported in Karnataka, tally rises to 151 in state
Bengaluru: Seven new novel coronavirus cases including five who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi, were confirmed taking the total number of patients in the state to 151 on Sunday, said the Karnataka Health department.
Those who joined the list of COVID-19 patients comprised a couple from Bengaluru, four from Raibagh in Belagavi and one person from Ballari, health department said in its daily bulletin on Sunday.
The 151 cases include four deaths and 11 discharges, the department added.
According to the bulletin issued by the department, a 68-year old man and his 62-year old wife who hail from Madiwala in Bengaluru had returned from Dubai on March 22.
They were quarantined at a private hospital and have been asymptomatic.
Of the five COVID-19 patients who attended the Markaz of Tabhligh-e-Jamaat, four are from Raibagh in Belagavi while one person is from Ballari.
While the Belagavi patients have been isolated at the district hospital in Belagavi, the Ballari patient has been quarantined at MDRS, at Alipur in Ballari and he is asymptomatic, the bulletin said.
The department said the contract tracing of all the patients is underway.
The government appealed people who had attended Tablighi Jamaat Congregation in New Delhi to contact 080- 29711171 Arogya Sahayavani, the medical helpline number.
The department said the Indian Council of Medical Research has issued an advisory to start rapid antibody based blood test for COVID-19 as a strategy for areas reporting clusters (containment zone) and in large migration, gathering or evacuees centres.
The department said out of 151 patients 12 have been discharged and 135 are active cases and four deaths have taken place. The deaths took place in Kalaburagi, Tumakuru, Chikkaballapura and Bagalkote.
Of the 151 cases in Karnataka, maximum 57 has been reported in Bengaluru, 28 in Mysuru, 12 in Dakshina Kannada, 10 in Bidar, eight in Uttara Kannada, seven in Belgavai, six in Ballari, five in Kalaburagi, three each in Davangere and Udupi and one each in Dharwad, Kodagu, Tumakuru, Bagalkote and Bengaluru rural.
In view of the increasing cases of COVID-19 in the state, Chief MInister B S Yediyurappa appealed to the people to strictly adhere to the lockdown.
Expressing his concern over the gradual increase in the cases, Yediyurappa said the damage caused by the COVID-19 worldwide is known to everyone and accordingly, the Prime Minister has announced nationwide lockdown till April 14.
"In our state, the number of coronavirus patients is increasing in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Bidar, Kalaburagi. Besides shutting down borders, prayers at all the religious places have been stopped and various other measures have been taken to prevent the COVID-19 from spreading further," the Chief Minister said in a statement.
He said people have to understand the importance of lockdown as the disease is dangerous for the country.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
WHO calls for urgent action as South-East Asia leads in tuberculosis burden
New Delhi (PTI): The South-East Asia region continues to carry a disproportionate share of the tuberculosis burden, one of the leading infectious diseases in the world, said a World Health Organisation (WHO) official said on Tuesday.
On the World TB Day, the WHO called for stronger national leaderships, sustained investment and continued engagement of communities and people to control the spread of the disease.
In a statement, Dr Catharina Boehme, officer-in-charge, WHO South-East Asia, said, "The region accounts for approximately 34 per cent of people developing the disease globally and nearly 40 per cent of deaths. In 2024 alone, an estimated 3.68 million people developed TB, and approximately 433,000 lives were lost, including 13,000 among people living with HIV."
This year's theme -- "Yes! We Can End TB" -- is a timely reminder that progress is within reach when political commitment, science and innovation, and community leadership come together, Dr Boehme said.
Since 2015, South-East Asia has achieved 23 per cent reduction in TB deaths, and 16 per cent decline in TB incidence, outpacing the global average decline of 12 per cent.
Treatment coverage has expanded significantly to more than 85 per cent, with over 3.1 million people initiating treatment in 2024. The member states continue to achieve treatment success rates above the global average, including for drug-resistant TB, while expanding preventive treatment for people living with HIV and household contacts, she said.
The national programmes are strengthening TB services, integrating them within primary health care and universal health coverage, and using data and innovation to reach those still being missed. These gains reflect the sustained efforts of governments, health workers, communities and partners across the region.
Nevertheless, the region remains off track to meet the "End TB" milestones.
Drug-resistant TB remains a serious challenge, with an estimated 150,000 MDR (multidrug-resistant tuberculosis) and RR-TB (Rifampicin-Resistant tuberculosis) cases each year in the region.
Socio-economic drivers continue to fuel transmission as undernutrition and diabetes are major risk factors, and 44 per cent of TB-affected households face catastrophic costs due to the disease.
To drive progress, the focus needs to be on accelerating the pace of decline in TB incidence and deaths, especially in high-burden settings, through integrated approaches embedded within primary health care to provide people-centred care, Boehme said.
There is a need to close the detection and treatment gaps through universal access, rapid diagnostics and shorter treatment regimens.
Boehme also stressed harnessing new technologies, including artificial intelligence, to expand access to quality care that leaves no one behind.
