Covid-19: 2nd sero survey begins next week in Punjab

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 9

To estimate the prevalence of Covid-19 in the state, the government is going conduct second sero-prevalence survey. The antibody test will be done on randomly selected 4,800 people from 12 districts.

• Also read: Daily Covid tests dip by 10K in a month in Punjab

According to health officials, the work on sample collection would start just after Diwali. “We are expecting the entire exercise to be completed by November-end,” said Hussan Lal, Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare.

Last survey in August had found antibodies in 27.7% population in containment zones

According to a plan prepared by the department, samples of 400 people (200 each from urban and rural areas) in each district will be taken and analysed for Covid antibodies.

After collecting the samples, laboratory technicians will process with Covid Kavach Elisa testing kits.

In August, the government had conducted a survey in Punjab’s containment zones and had found 27.7 per cent of the people living in these zones were positive for antibodies, indicating that they had already been infected and recovered. The survey was conducted in five containment zones from August 1 to 17.

521 fresh cases

In the past 24 hours, the state reported 562 cases and 21 deaths. As per a government bulletin released on Saturday, the total number of cases has reached 1,37,999 and deaths 4,338.

In the district-wise break-up of the cases, Ludhiana topped the chart with 96, followed by SAS Nagar (89), Jalandhar (77), Hoshiarpur (46), Patiala (41) and Bathinda (40).

Witnessing a slight increase, the number of active cases has reached 4,934 in the state.

At present, 127 patients are on oxygen support and 14 on ventilator support.

Hoshiarpur reported three deaths; Amritsar, Bathinda, Jalandhar, Kapurtala, Ludhiana, SAS Nagar, Tarn Taran and Patiala two deaths each; and Sangrur and Muktsar one death each.