Karnataka to track those buying cold, flu drugs

MUMBAI: The Karnataka government has asked chemists to share contact details of those who purchase medicines used for influenza-like illness (ILI) or severe acute respiratory infection (SARI), a move it hopes will help reach people who may not have informed authorities of Covid-19-like symptoms.

“The state-level technical support committee formed an opinion that ILI and SARI cases, which have got similar symptoms such of Covid-19, should be screened at the initial stages of symptoms so that morbidity and mortality due to Covid-19 can be arrested in the community,” the state government said on Thursday.

It has asked chemists to track all who buy drugs used for common cold such as cough syrups and paracetamol. The same measure has been adopted by the Panvel corporation in Maharashtra.