Sero survey shows Covid-19 antibodies in 27% population in Kashmir’s Pulwama

The second sero-survey in Kashmir’s Pulwama has revealed that 27 p.c of the inhabitants has developed Covid-19 antibodies versus 2 p.c of the inhabitants three months in the past.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the nation’s premium medical analysis organisation, performed the second nationwide sero-survey for Covid-19 in August to observe the tendencies of SARS-CoV-2 an infection transmission in India.

“The second round of the ICMR’s national sero-survey for SARS COV-2 infection (Covid-19) in Pulwama district shows prevalence of 27.3 percent. In the first round, in June, it was only 2 percent,” mentioned Dr Muhammad Salim Khan, head of neighborhood medication, Government Medical College, Srinagar and nodal particular person for the ICMR’s nationwide sero-survey for Pulwama district.

The community-based surveillance was performed throughout 60 districts and 10 hotspot websites throughout all states and Union territories to map the altering pattern of the inhabitants’s response to SARS COV-2 an infection over the months.

The first spherical was held in May and June this yr the place the prevalence of IgG antibody was discovered 0.73 p.c among the many basic inhabitants within the nation. During the survey, blood samples have been collected to find out the prevalence of an infection within the latest previous and the physique’s immune response to the SARS CoV-2 an infection.

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In the second spherical in Pulwama district, 413 blood samples have been collected in ten totally different clusters of which 113 reported to be positive for IgG antibodies towards SARS CoV-2 an infection which makes it to 27.Three p.c.

“Sona Samilo village cluster showed the highest, 52.5 percent, positive prevalence while Khaigam recorded the lowest prevalence at 2.5 percent,” Khan mentioned.

The district was chosen within the first survey because it was a low-risk district relying on the variety of circumstances per million inhabitants.

So far, Jammu and Kashmir has recorded 77,253 positive circumstances of Covid-19 with 3,996 folks registering positive for the an infection in Pulwama. As many as 69 folks have died because of the an infection within the district of the full 1,212 deaths within the Union territory until October 2.

The knowledge was collected by way of app-based modules and at every website the info and blood samples of individuals have been collected for adults and kids over 10 years of age.

“The eldest positive cases were of three men and a woman ageing over 75 years while the youngest was an 11-year-old girl,” mentioned Khan.

The ICMR performed the research by way of its regional centres, nonetheless, it requested the Government Medical College (GMC), Srinagar, to conduct the research in Pulwama district on its behalf.

A group from the GMC, comprising school, resident docs and medical interns from the Department of Community Medicine (SPM), was deputed for conducting the survey in ICMR-assigned ten clusters in Pulwama. The research was coordinated by Dr Inaamul Haq and Dr Mariya Amin Qurieshi – assistant professors on the neighborhood medication division, GMC, Srinagar. The blood samples have been despatched to the ICMR lab at Chennai.

“We still need to follow SOPs religiously to prevent further spread of Covid-19 infection in the community which include wearing masks, social distancing and hand hygiene,” Khan mentioned.