Phase II of sero survey to give clearer picture of infection spread: RMRC
BHUBANESWAR: Experts say the first phase of the ICMR serological survey in the city — which has found that around 2% of the people tested have formed antibodies against the novel coronavirus — doesn’t give a clear picture on the spread of the infection here.
The first phase of the serological survey covered around 900 people across the city. The Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) has submitted a report on the survey to the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).
The RMRC maintained that the first phase showed the infection prevalence rate of three weeks earlier, when the Covid case load was lower than it is today. “To ascertain if there is any community transmission now, we have to see results of the second phase of the survey, which will be carried out after three weeks. It takes about three weeks post-infection for a body to develop antibodies,” RMRC director Sanghamitra Pati said.
“Since the case load in the city has spiked in geometrical progression in July, the tests done after three weeks will reveal the extent of the virus spread. In Delhi, around 23.48% of the city’s population have developed antibodies. The number is significant. The survey in Delhi was done three weeks after the cases soared. This means asymptomatic Covid patients have developed antibodies,” Pati explained.
Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain said the source of infection in many patients remained unknown. He added that this could indicate community spread.
In Odisha and Bhubaneswar, the percentage of local cases (not quarantined and suspected to have contracted the virus directly from positive cases) is close to 30%. This has raised suspicion that community transmission is on in hotspot areas such as Ganjam and Bhubaneswar, where the count has increased exponentially on a daily basis. However, the government has left it to health experts to make an assessment on whether there is any community spread.
In the second phase, 1600 serological samples will be tested. They will be collected from high-risk groups like health workers, police, fire and jail personnel, media and civic body staff.