Sero survey concludes in Bihar, results by mid-September

PATNA: Collection of blood samples for the second round of serological survey in the state concluded on Saturday with the RMRI-Patna teams collecting more than 800 samples from Madhubani and Purnia districts. The results of the survey are expected to be out by the second week of September.
The sero survey will indicate the percentage of the population which has developed antibodies against the Sars-Cov-2 virus that causes Covid-19.
Altogether 2,477 blood samples were collected randomly from people in six districts – Arwal, Begusarai, Buxar, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur and Purnia – during the second round of sero survey in the state. The samples were collected upon written consent from people to analyse the prevalence of antibodies against the novel coronavirus.
The highest number of samples, 432, was collected in Begusarai, followed by 422 in Buxar, 412 in Muzaffarpur and 411 in Arwal. The survey was undertaken by 20 teams, each comprising a lab technician and a field investigator.
RMRI- Patna director Dr Pradeep Das said the sero survey was completed in four days and the teams have collected more samples than the target of 2,400. “The collected samples will be sent to the National Institute Research in Tuberculosis (NIRT)-Chennai for the analysis. As 70 districts across the country are sending their blood samples to the NIRT, we expect to receive the results by mid-September,” he said, adding while 2,400 samples will be sent to the NIRT in cool box having -22 degrees Celsius, the remaining samples will be analysed at RMRI-Patna.
The survey has been conducted on the instruction of Indian Council of Medical Research and 70 districts in the country were selected for it, including six in Bihar.
Dr Das said in the second round, more people came forward for the sero survey. “Now, people are aware about the survey. They willingly volunteer by giving their blood,” he said.
In the first round of sero survey, only 17 blood samples showed antibodies against Covid from 2,400 samples collected in May when positive cases in the state were less than 3,500.