99.4% of Covid cases in Bengaluru are asymptomatic

Bengaluru: Even though the city has a major share of Covid cases in the state, there is some consolation. As per the reports, a maximum number of asymptomatic cases are also from Bengaluru. According to the State covid war room data, 99.4% of Bengaluru’s covid patients are asymptomatic, whereas, 95.9% of Karnataka’s patients are asymptomatic.

Medical journal Lancet’s Covid-19 Commission India Task Force stated that even though the rate of infection was significantly higher, the cases in the second wave are either asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic.

A city-based doctor said that most of the patients he sees are either asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic. Those who are mildly symptomatic become almost asymptomatic in just the next few days of the infection.

Another doctor was of the view that the increasing rate of the covid cases, especially asymptomatic cases are making the containment of the spread of the infection very difficult because asymptomatic cases do not exhibit any symptoms of the virus. Thus, it can transmit as much as the symptomatic patients.

‘Covid surge is self-inflicted’

According to a recent analysis by Jeevan Rekha, the resurgence of Covid cases is due to the mistake of both the people and the government in areas of covid- appropriate behaviour and governance. They stated, “In a pandemic, until a natural herd immunity is developed as well as critical mass is vaccinated in the region, cases surge and recede as a function of testing, both qualitative and quantitative. Bengaluru cannot afford to repeat the mistake; it is the question of life or death of 1.2 million people.”

Sanjeev Mysore, convenor of Jeevan Rekha said, “Due to low and slow testing Bengaluru witnessed a sharp surge in Covid cases in the June – October period.”

Mysore also stated that on June 12, Bengaluru had 1,206 active cases which shot up to 64,570. In June, was carrying out around 2,400 average test in a day. The government recognized the slow intensity of testing and ramped up the testing. The average test in a day increased to 17,510 in August, September (28,000), October (42,870) and November (48,820). Karnataka also recognised the flaw in Antigen Tests which had over 40 per cent false-negative reports. It changed the testing strategy and favoured RT- PCR tests.

Mysore added, “Due to a change in the strategy and an increase in average testing per day, Bengaluru witnessed consistent receding of active cases from 18,185 on January 5 to 5,275 on February 20. In February, India and Bengaluru witnessed the least number of active cases and made the mistake of celebrating victory over Covid at a subconscious level and informally the containment control mechanism. Bengaluru failed to maintain the Covid Appropriate Governance (CAG) by sharply reducing the average testing from peak of 48,820 in November to 40,401 in December, 36,448 in January, and 25,975 in February. Further, people also got deluded and ignored the need for Covid Appropriate Behaviour (CAB). This gave enough room for the virus to infect as many people as possible and raise the active cases and deaths to unprecedented levels. The cause for wave formation in a pandemic is due to a poor CAB and CAG, in short, it is a self-inflicted disaster.”