One in 3 persons in Silk City has antibodies: Sero survey
Bhubaneswar: Around one-third of the residents living under the limits of the Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) has already developed antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.
This was the finding of the serological survey jointly conducted by ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), the BeMC and MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur between August 3 and August 7.
As part of the survey, 2,830 blood samples were collected from members of the community picked at random, as well as those belonging to the high-risk category.
The study found that 31.1 per cent of the samples tested showed the presence of antibodies against the novel coronavirus. If the finding is extrapolated to the entire population of Berhampur, it means that one in three persons in the Silk City has been exposed to SARS-CoV-2. “In absolute terms, it would mean that around 1 lakh to 1.5 lakh people of the city have been exposed to this virus,” RMRC director Sanghamitra Pati said.
Pati added that five health teams had drawn the samples from 25 wards and five slums. “Prevalence ranged from 7 per cent to 60 per cent in the different wards. Four wards had more than 50 per cent sero prevalence,” she added. She also said urban slums in the city of Ganjam district, which has been the worst affected by the Covid pandemic in the state, had 35 per cent sero prevalence.
“Prevalence of the virus in high-risk groups was 23.4 per cent. The best thing is the very negligible infection fatality rate of the city, a low 0.02 per cent,” she added.
She said the results of the survey, announced on Thursday, held true for the infection scenario of a month ago, as it takes around two weeks for the human body to develop antibodies to the virus.
“The second round of serological survey will indicate further progression of sero prevalence in the city. The second round will begin 28 days after the start of the first sero survey,” she added. It is thus expected to begin later this month.
Pati said the second round of serological survey might show more people having developed antibodies. “It is too early to say anything about the development of herd immunity among the people of the city,” she added.
Chakravarti Singh Rathore, BeMC commissioner, said negligible infection fatality rate was a good thing. “This happened because of the administration’s efforts and the cooperation of the public. The study also shows that 90% of the infected were asymptomatic. It shows there was no health hazard to most people,” he added.