Nearly one-third of the population of the Berhampur Municipal Corporation area in Odisha’s Ganjam district, the State’s virus hotspot, has developed COVID-19 antibodies, according to a survey by the Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Bhubaneswar.
The Indian Council of Medical Research institute had carried out a serological survey in the BeMC area in association with the State Health and Family Welfare department, MKCG Medical College & Hospital and other government agencies between August 3 and 7.
Sanghamitra Pati, RMRC Director, said about 25 randomly selected areas were taken up for the survey and antibody tests conducted on 2,830 persons. “We opted for random sampling in order to extrapolate the results for the community at large. Five slums and high-risk groups were part of the survey in Berhampur,” she said. “We have found sero prevalence to the extent of 31%, which means one-third of the population has developed antibodies. Sero prevalence ranged between 7% and 60% in different wards,” said Dr. Pati.
‘Low fatality rate’
COVID-19 antibodies were detected in over 50% of the population in four wards of the city and in over 35% of the population in the urban slums, but the RMRC Director rejected the possibility of a community spread, saying “there is no wider community transmission as had been feared”. “Besides, the fatality rate, which is an indicator of transmission, is very low at 0.02%,” said Dr. Pati.
“We anticipate that about 1.5 lakh people were perhaps exposed to the novel coronavirus and developed antibodies... 90% of those who had developed antibodies did not have any major symptoms.”
Given that the August 3-7 survey findings correspond to a period prevailing four weeks earlier, the RMRC Director said the second round is likely to yield better results.
The RMRC began sero surveys in Puri in June, and then extended it to the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation and BeMC. A similar survey is currently under way in the Badamba-Narsinghpur area of Cuttack district, and Cuttack Municipal Corporation, Gajapati district and Rourkela Municipal Corporation are next in the pipeline.
