Bengaluru: The general population of Karnataka has a Level of Covid-19 sero) 69.8%, the 4th serosurvey results conducted by the Council of India for ICMR research (ICMR) shows.
Surveys are looking for the presence of SARS-COV2 antibodies in the blood.
This confirms the past virus exposure.
On July 20, the Ministry of Health Uni released the results of the 4th National Serosurvey and has now revealed state-specific data.
The National Survey was conducted in 70 districts in June and July and included children in the age group 6-17 years.
The overall seroprevalence was 67.6% in the country’s population, according to ICMR.
In Karnataka, three districts – Bengaluru Urban, Chitradurga and Kalaburagi – are part of the survey.
A total of 1,326 people from these districts underwent an antibody test.
From them, 69.8% (926) was tested positively.
Seroprevalence level Karnataka is the highest in this country.
While Madhya Pradesh leads with a 79% seroprevalence level, Rajasthan, with 76.2%, in second place.
Bihar (75.9%), Gujarat (75.3%), Chhattisgarh (74.6%), Uttarakhand (73.1%), Uttar Pradesh (71%) and Andhra Pradesh (70.2%) follow in the order that.
According to the survey, Kerala is at the bottom of the list of countries with a sero prevalence rate of 44.4%.
In his communication to all states on Tuesday (July 27), Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, Ministry of Health and family welfare, said Serosurvey was designed to capture the extent to the spread of infection throughout the country.
Therefore, he said, the results would not reflect the heterogeneity of seroprevalence between districts or even between countries.
“Thus, it produces regional data on Seroprevalence is very important for formulating the steps of the local public health response,” read the letter, a copy with TOI.
Incidentally, the report was widely criticized by experts, who warned that it did not mean that the flock of immunity was achieved.
The letter also directed the country to conduct their own seroprevalence studies in consultation with ICMR so that the standard protocol was followed.
Bad statistical examination MK Sudarshan, Chairperson, Covid-19 State Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), said the results were based on the national statistics framework and covered only three districts in Karnataka.
Therefore, it cannot be seen as a reflection of land reality in Karnataka.
“Separating data from these districts and adhere to the seroprevalence level in Karnataka is a bad statistical application,” Dr.
Sudarshan.
“This is not in accordance with the epidemiological standard approach.” He said the state must conduct a well-designed survey to draw conclusions and then introduce intervention.
“Data from three districts from 30 districts does not represent seroprevalence in the state.
At the most, they can be used to assess Seroprevalence in three districts,” he said.
Incidentally, the results of the Serosurvey of the two carnataka carried out in January 2021 have not been released.
In May, researchers had conducted sub-studies related to him to understand urban antibodies.