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Delhi’s serological survey

Topics Covered: Issues related to health.

Delhi’s serological survey

Context:

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has declared the results of a serological survey carried out in Delhi between June 27 and July 10.

  • A total 21,387 samples were collected to look for the presence of antibodies.

This study has been done by the National Centre for Disease Control [NCDC] in collaboration with Govt of National Capital Territory of Delhi, following a rigorous multi-stage sampling study design.

What is a serological survey? How is it performed?

A serological survey seeks to assess the prevalence of disease in a population by detecting the presence of specific antibodies against the virus.

The survey included the IgG Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) test which estimates the proportion of the population exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

  • The IgG test is not useful for detecting acute infections, but it indicates episodes of infections that may have occurred in the past.
  • The test has been approved by ICMR for its high sensitivity and specificity.

Benefits of serological studies:

Since it is not possible to test everyone in the population, serological studies are used as a tool to make an estimate of the extent of disease spread in the community.

Key findings:

  • 22.86% of the people surveyed had developed IgG antibodies, indicating they had been exposed to the novel coronavirusthat causes Covid-19.
  • This shows that the proactive efforts by the government to prevent the spread of Covid-19, including prompt lockdown, effective containment and surveillance measures, contact tracing and tracking, as well as citizens’ compliance had yielded benefits.

So what happens now?

The government has said that results show that a significant proportion of the population is still vulnerable to contracting the novel coronavirus infection.

Therefore, Containment measures need to continue with the same rigour. Non-pharmacological interventions such as physical distancing, use of face mask/cover, hand hygiene, cough etiquette and avoidance of crowded places etc. must be followed strictly.

InstaLinks:

Prelims Link:

  1. Types of antibodies.
  2. What is serological survey?
  3. ELISA test is associated with?
  4. About the National Center for Disease Control [ NCDC]?
  5. Can ELISA test detect acute infections?

Mains Link:

Discuss the significance of Delhi’s serological survey results.

Sources: pib.