Bhubaneswar: Second round of serological survey is planned in the city from tomorrow and day after. While five teams will collect samples simultaneously from various locations across the city, a target of 1,500 randomly selected samples will be collected in these two days from 25 wards.
This survey will provide insights into the community exposure levels which were very low during the first round (1.42%). Target group is general population (adults) selected randomly from the community. After the two-day survey an interim report will be given to BMC.
While Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) a part of Indian Council of Medical Research is providing technical support under the leadership of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), Health and Family Welfare Department will also contribute in the execution of the survey.
BMC Commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhary and RMRC Director Dr Samghamitra Pati are leading the entire exercise, which will reflect any change in the immunity levels in the same poulation sample, in which the first serological surveillance was conducted four weeks ago.
In fact, technically after 28 days of the first serological surveillance, is being conducted.Dr Jayasingh Kshatri, scientist with RMRC said in the first round of survey a community sample of 900 was covered. It was found though the community level antibody is relatively low across the communities of the Temple City, it may be inferred that large-scale transmission has probably not occurred in the state capital.’’
According to Additional District Urban Public Health (ADUPHO) Dr CVSN Rao, the community exposure to COVID-19 virus was relatively low in city due to a plethora of enforcement measures taken by the BMC authorities along with the Commissionerate Police. Due to more use of masks, practising physical distancing, frequent washing of hands and creating community awareness by public addressal system through 10 IEC vehicles engaged by BMC, the spread was contained to a certain extent.
A large majority of the population is still susceptible to the infection and hence all preventive measures of physical distancing, use of masks among others prescribed by the Government needs to be adhered without complacency,’’ Dr Rao added.
Last Saturday, while addressing media persons at Geeta Gobinda Bhawan, BMC Commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhary has said that though the community exposure level is 1.42 percent, Bhubaneswar remained the state capital one of the safest’’ in the country.
As per the nationwide figure so far, the antibody prevalence was 31percent in Berhampur, 55 percent in Pune, 40 percent in Mumbai, 20 percent in Ahmedabad, 20-50 percent in Jodhpur, Punjab and Amritsar and 29 per cent in Delhi.
However, the BMC Commissioner emphasised that if we would manage the situation well, the positivity would come down.It needs careful and responsible activities by all of us in the society and as responsible citizens we should abide by the COVID-19 protocol to wear mask, wash hands frequently as many times as possible and maintain social distancing to fight COVID-19,” he had said.
