Indore district on Wednesday rolled out the sero survey to track the novel coronavirus, COVID-19 in the city.
Divisional commissioner Dr Pawan Sharma, who has strongly advocated the need for a sero survey in the city said that the project was started with the aim of assessing how the city has been effected by COVID-19.
The survey is being carried out under the aegis of the Government of India and the Government of Madhya Pradesh. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) norms are being followed and technical guidance is being provided by the National Centre for Disease Control, New Delhi.
In a sero survey, coronavirus antibodies are detected in the blood stream of individuals who have not tested positive. The survey not only assesses the spread of infection amongst the people of the city, but also gives an assessment of the immunity that has developed amongst the citizens against the virus.
The survey will also help the district understand how people developed antibodies did not test positive for the virus. It will also understand human resistance to the virus. Indore Division has eight districts including Indore, Dhar, Khandwa, Khargone, Barwani, Jhabua, Alirajpur, and Burhanpur
Currently, random people are being sampled from each ward. Houses have been selected through a lottery system, and the authorities say they will use their results to figure how to fight the virus.
The project is expected to be a landmark in Indore’s public health system and in the process, the future of the city.
The authorities have also appealed to the residents of Indore to support the members of the survey team. “You are requested to play a role in helping the municipal corporation and the state and central government in helping make this drive a success.”
