Older people, people with comorbidities, children and pregnant women are still susceptible
New Delhi:
A considerable part of the population, which has not yet been exposed to the COVID-19 virus, remains at risk of infection, according to the results of the second national sero-survey, which was conducted by the main medical body ICMR between August 17 and August. September 22. , have revealed.
The findings also showed that around 7.1 percent of India’s adult population (aged 18 and over) showed evidence of past exposure to the virus so far.
Specifically, the sero-survey showed that only one in 15 people (10 years and older) had likely been exposed to the virus by the end of August, with a risk of infection twice as high in slums compared to non-areas. slums urban centers and four times larger than rural areas.
According to the data, seroprevalence among people in urban slums was 15.6%. It was 8.2% for those living in non-marginal areas of urban centers and only 4.4% in rural areas.
The first survey found that seropositivity was higher in villages (rural areas) at 69.4% compared to 15.9% in urban slums and 14.6% in non-slums. However, that survey said that only about a quarter (25.9 percent) of the conglomerates surveyed were from urban areas.
Overall, for every confirmed COVID-19 case in August, there were 26 to 32 infections that went undetected, as a result, the government said, of better contact tracing and follow-up. The same figure was 81-130 in May.
The second sero-survey was conducted in the same 700 villages and (urban) districts of 70 districts in 21 states visited for the first (which was conducted between May 11 and June 4).
Blood samples from 29,082 people were analyzed, compared with 28,000 in the last survey. The tests look for IgG antibodies, indicating exposure to the new coronavirus.
Mumbai showed the highest seroprevalence with 57.8% of the samples (from slums) testing positive. The rate was reduced to 17.4 percent for samples from non-slum areas.
Delhi registered a seroprevalence of 29.1% in the second round of sampling that took place between 1 and 7 August. This was higher than the 23.1% recorded in the first round held between June 27 and July 10.
Surprisingly, Puducherry was next with a seroprevalence of 22.7% in the second round (10-16 September); the Union Territory has registered around 27,000 confirmed cases so far, of which 515 are deaths and 5,014 are active cases.
Puducherry’s seroprevalence was just 4.9 percent in the first round of the poll, Aug. 11-16.
Chennai registered a seroprevalence of 21.5% and Ahmedabad of 17.6%, while Indore in Madhya Pradesh registered a 7.8%.
Each of these figures corresponds to two different sero-surveys that were carried out independently of each other.
The results, released by the Union Health Ministry on Tuesday afternoon, also highlighted a lower proportion of infection per case in August compared to May, a reflection, the ministry said, of a substantial increase in testing and screening across the country.
The sero-survey also highlighted the need for regular “non-drug interventions” – social distancing, proper cough etiquette, and the use of masks and hand sanitizers – to ensure limited spread of the virus.
Older people, people with comorbidities, children and pregnant women remain susceptible to infection and still need protection, the government stressed.
The government also warned people that with the Christmas season just around the corner and the number of festivals to be held, mass gatherings should be strictly avoided. State governments, the center said, must devise “inventive containment strategies” for this.
India has over 61 lakh of confirmed Covid cases so far. More than 70,000 new cases were detected in the past 24 hours, government data showed this morning, and 776 people died.
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