45% of Karnataka's population was infected with covid-19 by August, says a new study

News Network
November 10, 2020

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Bengaluru, Nov 10: A whopping 44.5% of Karnataka’s population was infected with Covid-19 by the end of August, said a team of Indian and American researchers who completed a randomised Covid-19 testing study.

This estimate stands in sharp contrast to the state’s official sero-survey which determined that 27.3% of the population was exposed to the virus. The diverging studies appear to suggest that this is because the state’s sero-survey did not conduct enough random tests.

The survey, titled “Karnataka Seroprevalence Study” (KSS), began on June 15 and ended on August 29. It saw researchers from Duke University in North Carolina, the University of Chicago, the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) and Mapmygenome, supported by the State Covid Task Force, reach out to 1,907 random households across 20 districts of Karnataka.

The homes were identified from an existing and representative sample of 9,717 households, drawn from the Pyramids Household Survey (CPHS), a longitudinal household panel data set assembled by the Mumbai-based Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE).

The survey has now estimated that a shocking 3.15 crore residents had been infected by the virus by the end of August 2020, which is higher than the figure of 1.93 crore persons currently infected or recovered from Covid according to the government survey.

Another key finding is that rural areas have been hit equally badly as urban areas because of returning migrants and because there were fewer lockdowns there due to ongoing agricultural activities.

Commissioner of Health Pankaj Kumar Pandey said the disparity in findings could be due to KSS’ small sample size.

 “A small sample size can skew estimates. Plus the KSS’ use of households sourced from an economic survey can create a distorted picture. The state’s sero-survey results, meantime, have tallied largely with nationwide sero-survey results,” he said.

One of the authors of the KSS study, Associate Professor Manoj Mohanan of the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke, told DH that one reason for the disparity is the different strategies used.

“We aimed to get at the population-representative sample while the state’s study focused on target-risk groups. This is likely to cause some variation, especially because consent rates are likely to differ,” he said.

That the studies used different antibody tests is also a factor, he added. “We relied on the Elisa test for the RBD spike protein that was developed by THSTI while the other study relied on the Covid Kavach Elisa,” he said.

Scientists of the DBT India Consortium for Covid-19 Research had published a paper in August showing that the ICMR-designed Covid Kavach Elisa test has a specificity of 99.5% and a sensitivity of 75.7%. In contrast, THSTI’s Elisa test was shown to have a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 84.7%.

“Sensitivity” is the ability to identify those with antibodies to Sars-Cov-2 (true positive rate), and “specificity” is the ability to identify those without antibodies to Sars-CoV-2 (true negative rate).

Professor Mohanan also pointed out that the RT-PCR positive rates in the state’s sero-survey (12.7%) are “slightly higher than the high-end of our estimates for current infection”.

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News Network
September 16,2024

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Mangaluru: Police have arrested five miscreants belonging to saffron outfits for pelting stones at a masjid at Katipalla near Surathkal on the outskirts of the city last night. 

The arrested have been identified as Bharat, Chennappa, Nitin, Manu and Sujit all residents of Surathkal and surrounding areas. Among them, Bharat is said to be a rowdy sheeter. 

The miscreants, who came on two motorbikes late on Sunday night, pelted stones at Masjidul Huda, located at 3rd block of Katipalla on the eve of Miladunnabi.  

Confirming the incident, City Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal said that investigation is in progress and a case has been registered at Surathkal police station.

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News Network
September 14,2024

Mangaluru: The block level and District Congress Committee presidents in the state will be changed in the next one month for better reach into society and bring in organisational fortification, said Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee working president G C Chandrasheker on Saturday.

The All India Congress Committee and KPCC have a vision for bringing a change in how the party works with the last man and woman in the state, he said at a press conference here.

"We are looking at bringing development models into the state with a new vision. We are a party that likes to work with the opposition in the developmental aspects and keep all other matters away that do not relate to the development of the state.

"We have a great respect for the people of the coast who are considered to be forward-looking and perceptible, but it is also true that we do not have the numbers in the upper house and in the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)," he said.

"Our endeavour is to not only create a strong pro-development workforce at the base level by strengthening the second and third level leadership in the state," he said.

Chandrasheker, who is also a Rajya Sabha member, said that he and his four colleagues of the rank of working presidents of the KPCC are going to every district to infuse the new thinking in our workers and leaders.

"This move will get a new surge considering the party is facing byelections in Shiggaon, Chennapatna and Sandhur segments and also vacant seats in the legislative council, followed by elections to the Urban Local Bodies and Panchayats" he said.

When asked about the reason for the changes, Chandrashekar said most of the people have already lived their tenures. The party wants to reward those who have not been given tickets to contest in the 2023 state assembly elections and 2024 Lok Sabha elections for political reasons.

There are quite good leaders and hard-working ground level workers who have great potential to lead the party in the coming years, he said.

"Women will get at least one top post in all District Congress Committees and block levels. There is also a move to give responsible positions for the workers and leaders coming from different strata of society, which are deliverable. The party will not shy away from it," he said.

The other two working presidents, Dr Manjunath Bhandary and Vasanth Kumar, were also present at the press conference.

Kumar said some of the regions in the state are dominated by the BJP. "We want to end this run and defeat the divisive models of the BJP." Bhandary said the Indian National Congress was aiming at a high development phase in the state and involve the opposition parties and their leaders in the development plans in the state. 

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News Network
September 17,2024

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Mangaluru: In an act of extraordinary selflessness, a young lecturer and mother, Archana Kamath, tragically passed away just days after donating a portion of her liver to a relative. She was 33.

Archana, who had devoted her career to shaping young minds as a lecturer at Canara College and most recently at Manel Srinivasa Nayak MBA College, was a loving mother to a four-year-old boy. Her sudden passing has left her family, students, and colleagues reeling in shock and grief.

The story of her untimely demise began when a relative of her husband, CA Chethan Kumar, required a life-saving liver transplant. 

With no other matching donors in sight, Archana stepped forward, her heart full of compassion. Her blood type matched, and without hesitation, she made the brave decision to donate a part of her liver—an act that would ultimately cost her life.

The surgery, performed 12 days ago in Bengaluru, seemed successful. Archana appeared to recover well and was discharged, bringing hope and relief to her loved ones. 

But just days after returning home, she suddenly fell ill and passed away on September 15 in a Mangaluru hospital. The cause of her sudden decline remains a mystery, compounding the sorrow of those who knew and loved her.

Her final act of love saved a life—the relative who received her liver is said to be recovering well. But Archana’s loss is felt deeply by her husband and their young son, who are now left to navigate a world without her warmth and strength.

As family and friends grapple with this tragic turn of events, Archana’s memory will live on in the hearts of those who knew her as a caring educator, devoted mother, and a woman whose ultimate sacrifice was made out of love.

The full story of her passing is still unfolding, and her untimely death has left an irreplaceable void in the lives of all who knew her.
 

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