RMRC to end 1st round of sero survey today
Bhubaneswar: The first round of the serological survey in the city will be completed on Tuesday. Around 1,400 samples have been collected so far from high-risk population groups for the second phase of the first round. Earlier, more than 900 samples were collected in the first phase of the first round and the results showed that around 2% of the people tested had developed antibodies to SARS-CoV-2.
The aim of the serological survey — which checks for antibodies in the blood and can determine whether a person has been infected by the novel coronavirus in the past — is to figure out the extent of the spread of the infection in the state capital. The survey is being conducted by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) here.
The first phase of the first round of the survey began on July 11. In that phase, samples were collected from the community (randomly selected persons) on July 11 and 12.
In the second phase of the first round, people belonging to high-risk categories were included in the survey. The survey team collected around 1,400 samples from high-risk groups like immuno-compromised patients, healthcare workers, security personnel, municipal workers, drivers, shopkeepers, vendors, airport workers, slum dwellers, migrants in camps and containment zones.
The team will collect around 200 samples from mediapersons on Tuesday to achieve the target of collecting 1,600 samples for the second phase.
RMRC director Sanghamitra Pati said around 2,500 samples would be collected in the first round of the survey. The second round will start 28 days after the first round as per the technical mandate. “After collection of the samples, we will test them and analyse the data, before sending it to the BMC and the state government,” she added.
“Normally, antibodies develop within four weeks of an antigen entering the body. Today’s sero surveillance will show the infection status of three to four weeks previously. So antibody test tells us about past infection. That is why we are planning to conduct the second round of the survey after four weeks to compare the antibody development and immunity status of people from one round to the other,” said Pati.