Karnataka state commences training for state-level COVID-19 prevalence survey

Karnataka will be conducting a survey across all districts to estimate the prevalence of COVID-19 across the state and the proportion of persons who have developed immunity. The survey, which will involve adults over the age of 18, will cover 38 units, including all districts of Karnataka and 8 zones of the BBMP.

Pankaj Kumar Pandey, IAS, Commissioner, Department of Health and Family Welfare, on August 20 inaugurated the training program for District Surveillance Officers, District Tuberculosis Officers, Epidemiologists, and Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres under NACO. The survey data is expected to guide state interventions for COVID-19 management.  

Resource persons for the training included Dr Ravi V, Regional Director, ICMR, NIMHANS;  Dr Anitha, Virologist Desai, NIMHANS; Dr Giridhara Babu, Dr. Giridhara R Babu, Professor, Head – Life course Epidemiology, IIPHH-Bengaluru, PHFI,  and  member  of  government Technical Analytical Committee;  Dr Mohammed Shariff, DD, SSU and  Dr Vasantha Kumar, State Epidemiologist, IDSP.

The survey will include samples from populations at three risk levels. Low-risk populations include pregnant women presenting at ANC clinics and persons attending the outpatient department in hospitals or attendees of children or patient. Moderate to high-risk populations will include bus conductors, vegetable vendors, healthcare workers, individuals in containment zones and individuals in meeting areas such as markets, malls, bus stop, and railway stations. High-risk populations will include the elderly and persons with comorbid conditions.

The facilitators spoke about the equipment requirements to conduct the survey and sample collection, the responsibilities of district surveillance officers, administrative medical officers at health institutes, district epidemiologist and district program coordinators, lab technicians and counselling staff, and the protocol for collection of samples and sample transportation. Data for the survey will be collected using an app to register patients, update sample collection status and lab results.