ICMR’s (Indian Council of Scientific Research) third nationwide serological-survey report stated that more than 21% of the Indian population of age 18 and above, presented proof of prior exposure to COVID-19. The report of seroprevalence within the 10-17 age group was identified to be 25.3%.
In spite of this, a huge section of citizens is still at risk for the COVID-19 infection. The study was carried out from 07/12/20220 to 08/01/2021. Urban non-slums with 26.2% and urban slums with 31.7% had a much higher SARS-CoV-2 frequency compared to the rural area with 19.1%. The survey indicated that 23.4% of people with age above 60 had faced COVID-19.
Dr. Balram Bhargava, ICMR’s Director-General stated that based on the survey, 21.4% of individuals with an age of 18 years and above studied during the time frame, indicated proof of previous exposure to COVID-19 infection. Whereas 25.3% of children in the age group 10-17 among the same group of the studied community have had the disease.
During the same time, blood samples from 7,171 medical care personnel were also retrieved and the seroprevalence among them was performed
in the same 700 wards or villages in 70 districts within 21 states chosen for the 1st and 2nd cycles of the nationwide serosurvey. A typical serosurvey comprises blood serum analysis of a group of people to check the trends in the frequency of the novel SARS-CoV-2 infections.On the other hand, the vaccination drive has progressed with the immunization of 49,93,427 beneficiaries around the nation among which Union territories and 11 States, including Manipur, Meghalaya, Chandigarh, Ladakh, Assam, and TamilNadu, have 30% or fewer medical care workers already inoculated with the first dose of vaccine for COVID-19, according to the report.
Based on the statement, currently, 5,912 public & 1,239 private facilities are being employed as COVID-19 vaccination centers within the country.
One of the most direct as well as possibly the very least biased method to compute the vulnerability profile for a population is through a proper, high standard & stratified serological survey or sero-survey, wherein samples collected from the distinctly selected groups are analyzed for antibodies against the particular viruses.
ICMR’S Serological Survey
