ICMR AND ITS SEROSURVEY LEARNINGS

 Serosurvey : It is serology testing, determine the proportion of the population that tests positive for antibodies. The presence of a specific antibody in sufficiently high concentrations indicates that the tested individual was previously infected.

Serology : Serology is the study of blood serum (the clear fluid that separates when blood clots).

Typically, such studies examine individuals chosen at random using sampling approaches that allow the results to be scaled to the broader population. Sample is generally taken in such a way that it is valid for the whole country. Although this method is accepted by different International and Indian organisations.

icmr.gov.in

Since 2020 till now India Council of Medical Research (ICMR) conducted three serosurveys throughout the country to measure infection of SARS-CoV-2 virus.

●Third one was conducted between December 17- January 8 : showed that 21.5% of Indian adult has been exposed to virus (as detected in antibodies test).

● 25% of those who are between 10- 17 years old may have been infected.

 Talking to a newspaper DG ICMR told "Serosurveys lose their scientific relevance once vaccination start in population." 

Studies in significant Indian cities, including Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, and Hyderabad, indicates that a high proportion of the population in these cities had antibodies, indicating that they had been infected.

A recent IDFC Foundation research in Karnataka coordinated by  Anup Malani (UChicago), Anu Acharya (Mapmygenome), and Kaushik Krishnan (CMIE) discovered that antibodies were present in more than 44 percent of rural regions. With a fast spreading infectious illness, the proportion of the population with antibodies will increase over time.

The purpose of this post is not spreading any type of anxiety but to spread awareness and explain severity of COVID-19

 Follow COVID-19 protocols.

Since May 2020 three nation wide serosurvey were conducted by ICMR ,it is found that exposure to the virus is several times more than that of reported cases.

 Servey extended over 70 Districts, across 21 states, and about 28,000

individuals.