A total of 51.5 percent of the people from whom samples were collected were found to have antibodies in a serosurvey conducted in Pune from July 20 to August 5.
The organisations involved in the survey were Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad and Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore.
Funding for the project was provided by the Persistent Foundation.
What is serosurvey?
A serosurvey attempts to find out whether a person has developed antibodies against COVID-19. The body produces antibodies, a kind of protein, to fight viruses. These antibodies are produced after an infection has occurred. Their presence suggests in the body that infection by coronavirus has occurred earlier.
A serosurvey helps researchers find out to what extent COVID-19 has spread in the community. A random sample of the population is tested for antibodies and an estimate made for the entire population.
The study indicates that there has been an extensive spread of infection in the five wards studied. Findings are as follows:
Seroprevalence ranging from 36.1% to 65.4% and it is substantive across all types of dwellings
Seropositivity of 43.9% was observed among people residing in bungalows, while it was 56-62% among those who live in tenement or hutment dwellings
People who live in apartments have somewhat lower prevalence (33%). The prevalence is 45.3% among the people who have access to independent toilets as against 62.2% among those who share toilets
There was no difference between men (52.8%) and women (50.1%), while people of older age (above 66) have a lower prevalence (39.8%)
According to the survey, "1,664 samples were collected from five wards for the survey between 20 July and 5 Aug. 51.5 percent people from whom samples were collected had antibodies. The study does not provide information on immunity from subsequent infection.
Where was the study conducted?
Five wards were randomly chosen from the high-incidence strata. The selected wards were Yerwada, Lohiyanagar-Kasewadi, Rastapeth-Ravivarpeth, Kasbapeth - Somwarpeth, Navipeth-Parvati.
Which is the most affected area?
Lohiya Nagar-Kasewadi ward (Bhavani Peth ward) which was once a hotspot of the city is the most affected where 65.4 percent people were found with antibodies.
In people aged between 51-65 years, 54.8 percent were detected with antibodies while 39.8 percent people aged above 66 years had antibodies.
Ward-wise results:
Ward-wise results | IISER
(With inputs from ANI)
