Over 25 per cent Delhiites have developed COVID-19 antibodies

NEW DELHI:  Over 25 per cent people in the city have developed Covid-19 antibodies according to the latest sero survey report, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Thursday. “According to the sero survey report submitted yesterday, 25.1 per cent of the patients who have now recovered have developed antibodies to Covid-19 in Delhi. In the last survey, it was 28.7 per cent. Next sero survey will start within 15 days,” Jain said.

The health minister gave a district-wise breakup of the number of participants who tested positive for the antibodies. The Northwest district registered the highest anti-body count with 31.8 per cent participants having developed Covid antibodies, followed by East Delhi with 31.1 per cent, 30.1 per cent from South Delhi and West Delhi with 27.9 per cent.

“The first survey that was conducted in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research where in Delhi was divided into 11 districts. This time we divided Delhi into 280 parts and that is why there is a difference in the results,” Jain added. On the increase in the number of fatalities recorded in the last few days, he said, “In September, there was a spike in cases across the country...The number of cases have recently seen a decline.”

According to health experts, the reason for the low anti-body prevalence is likely due to the fact that they do not exist in a human body for more than three or four months, but that too is questionable.

According to them, a person who infected in April or May is likely not to have Covid antibodies anymore. Experts also claimed that another factor that impacts the sero survey is the location or areas from where the samples were collected.

The matter related to the sero survey took a twist during a high court hearing on Wednesday, where the Delhi government claimed that its officials had not disclosed any information regarding the recent sero survey results to the media before furninshing the report to the high court. Some publications. had reported 33 per cent prevalence of the Covid antibodies in the city’s population.

However, a bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad did not accept the government’s claim and said that no denial was issued by the administration regarding the media reports. “Don’t show the press as unreliable. Don’t play games with the court,” the bench said.