Only 25 per cent ILI cases being tested, not a good sign: Experts

BENGALURU: With the number of Influenza Like Illness (ILI) cases increasing and the state witnessing deaths, the initial ILI analysis done through surveys revealed that only 25% of such cases have been tested in the State. This isn't a good indicator, say experts.

Dr Giridhar Babu, a member of the Covid expert committee, said, "We need to ramp up testing. Focus should be on testing each one and saving them as ILI cases are increasing. The state percentage of ILI tests done is at 25% and that isn't a good indicator. The data shows that 20,834 are ILI cases in the elderly, and the tests need to be done on all of them as they are at a higher risk." While the overall tests positivity rate stands at 0.3%, Dr Babu added that if more tests were conducted, more cases would have come to the fore, which would have helped.

"Only Bengaluru Urban district shows 2.3% test positivity rate and Bagalkot 1.0%. This apart, all the other districts have a low test positivity rate. It should have actually been 1-2.5% in each district," he said.

Dr Ravindra Mehta M, Senior Consultant and HOD, Pulmonology and Interventional Pulmonology, Apollo Speciality, Jayanagar, said, "We need to test more ILI cases. The SARI cases are tested as they get severe and people come to the hospital. But with ILI, people confused it with normal flu." The analysis also shows that of the total positive cases, 129 are related to ILI, what is worrying is that 69 cases are from Bengaluru Urban alone. 

ILI analysis

• Total Household survey : 16,882,789
• Surveyed households : 15,026,322
• Follow up: 6,262,062
• Fever cold and flu symptoms: 1,75,269
• Elderly ILI : 20,834
• Percentage of people with ILI cold, fever and flu symptoms : 1.04%
• Total ILI tests : 44,236
• Covid positive on ILI: 124
• Test positivity rate: 0.3% 
• Percentage of ILI tested: 25%