Mangaluru: An 82-year-old resident of Udupi, admitted in a private hospital in Mangaluru, has tested positive for COVID.

District Health and Family Welfare Officer H.R. Thimmaiah said the 82-year-old man was admitted to the private hospital, on December 19, with respiratory problems. When his throat swab samples were tested, he was found positive for COVID on December 21. Dr. Thimmaiah said the patient is undergoing treatment in isolation and is fine.

As per the guidelines of the Karnataka government, Dakshina Kannada district administration is doing an RTPCR test of throat swabs of all persons detected with Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI). Only one in 20 persons with influenza-like illness (ILI) will be tested for COVID infection. The State Government has set a target of testing 320 persons per day in Dakshina Kannada.

All educational institutions have been told to test all students with respiratory infection, including those returning from Kerala, at the nearest health facility. Those with COVID infection symptoms, following return from Sabarimala, should also get tested for COVID. As many as 1 lakh testing kits were available at the testing centre in government-run Wenlock Hospital in Mangaluru. RTPCR testing facility is available in all eight private medical colleges in Dakshina Kannada district.