Even as the number of swab samples tested for COVID-19 has crossed 2.90 lakh-mark in Mysuru district, the Microbiology Laboratory of the Mysore Medical College and Research Institute (MMCRI) has alone tested over one lakh swabs.
MMCRI Dean and Director C.P. Nanjaraj said 89,589 samples belong to Mysuru district while 11,024 samples were from other districts. In total 1,00,613 swab samples were subjected to testing at MMCRI till October 20, he added.
The lab at the MMCRI was also carrying out tests of samples sent from other districts in the beginning when they lacked the testing facilities. After the districts, including Kodagu, Mandya and Chamarajnagar, also got the COVID-19 labs, they started doing the tests in their own facilities and the samples sourced from Mysuru district were tested at the MMCRI lab.
Among the tests, 9,295 samples tested positive and this included 8,926 positive cases from Mysuru district and 369 from other districts, he said.
In the government labs, including the MMCRI’s lab, 2.59 lakh tests had been done and over 31,000 samples in the private labs as on October 21. The cumulative positive cases in Mysuru have crossed 45,000 with 45,864 cases as on October 21. This is the second highest in the State after the cases in Bengaluru.
The number of patients in home isolation was also decreasing with a remarkable recovery rate. As on Wednesday, 3,723 patients were in home isolation and the total active cases stand at 5,046. Nearly 75 percent of cases in Mysuru are in home isolation.
Meanwhile, the trauma care centre on the KRS Road may also launch treatment for COVID-19 soon with the work on equipping its beds with oxygen supply nearing completion.
The unoccupied building of Trauma Care Centre, which was inaugurated long ago but remained vacant for want of equipment and manpower, has been taken over and was being converted into the second largest COVID-19 hospital. As the facility was being designed to cater to the seriously-ill COVID-19 patients, who require oxygen support, an oxygen concentrator plant (which sources oxygen from atmospheric air) had been established on the hospital premises to overcome any shortage of liquid oxygen supply once the hospital becomes fully functional.
MLA L. Nagendra, MLA, on Wednesday inspected the hospital and told the doctors and officials carrying out the works to ensure early completion of the facility for COVID-19 treatment.
