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52 Percent People In Pune Exposed To COVID-19, Finds Sero Survey
Writer: Navya Singh
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Maharashtra, 18 Aug 2020 10:28 AM GMT | Updated 18 Aug 2020 11:51 AM GMT
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The survey had 1,664 respondents (all above 18 years) from five most-affected wards in the city.
The first sero survey conducted in Pune has found that 51.5 per cent of the 1,644 respondents have seroprevalence of antibodies against COVID-19. The survey had 1,664 respondents (all above 18 years) from five most-affected wards in the city.
The presence of antibodies against an infection in a body reveals that the person has been or was infected with the infection.
The blood samples were collected between July 20 and August 5 and the data from the sero survey was released on August 18.
The survey was conducted by the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in collaboration with Pune Municipal Corporation, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute at Faridabad, and Christian Medical College, Vellore.
In people aged between 51-65 years, 54.8 per cent were detected with antibodies while 39.8 per cent people aged above 66 years had antibodies.
Pune divisional commissioner Saurabh Rao said the survey was not comprehensive and that two more sero surveys will be conducted with a larger sample size.
Dr Aurnab Ghose, associate professor, IISER, said "52.8 per cent men and 50.1 per cent women were found to have seroprevalence of antibodies." The survey also revealed that people residing in huts and tenements had higher sero-positivity than those residing in apartments and bungalows, Ghose said.
The survey also indicated a higher prevalence of sero-positivity in users of shared toilets (62.3 per cent) in comparison to those who use independent toilets (45.3 per cent).
"We found the presence of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. This indicates past infection but does not necessarily suggest immunity from subsequent infection," he said.
Pune district reported 1,829 fresh coronavirus cases on August 18, pushing the tally to 1,27,026. The death toll climbed to 3,104 with the death of over 80 patients in the city.
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