4th survey shows kids, adults have same sero prevalence in Assam

GUWAHATI: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has detected sero prevalence in children on a par with adults in Assam during the fourth nationwide sero survey for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. In this study, children between six and 14 years were also included and they were found to have similar sero prevalence in the range 39.4% to 52.2%, as in adults.
Sero surveys are part of a larger effort to understand how widespread the prevalence of Covid-19 in the Indian population is.
During the fourth survey, 39.7% to 53.5% of the adult population were found sero-positive to coronavirus in the state. The latest survey was important, as the health status of those above six years was surveyed in the ICMR study for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic. Experts have said the third wave will hit children the hardest if it comes.
"This is a significant increase from 20.8% to 32.8% exposure recorded in the third survey carried out in December 2020. While the children had similar sero prevalence like in adults, healthcare workers were found to have higher sero positivity which ranged from 66.6% to 80%," Dr Kangjam Rekha Devi, a senior scientist at the ICMR-RMRC, Dibrugarh, told TOI.
The survey in Assam was carried out under the leadership of Rekha Devi, supported by the national health mission, the district administration and state health authorities of Kamrup (Metro), Karbi Anglong and Udalguri districts and consultants from the World Health Organization.
Notably, the difference of exposure to coronavirus in the urban population, as compared to the rural population, has been significantly less in the fourth survey. Earlier, the infection was 8.03 times more in urban areas than the rural pockets, but the gap has reduced to 1.34 times when the fourth survey was conducted in June this year.
"The fourth sero prevalence study has shown an increase in the exposure of SARS-CoV2 in the community in Assam. It is important to understand that people who developed antibodies to coronavirus cannot be sure whether they will not get infected with the virus again and thus all persons are advised to wear a mask while going to crowded places, frequently wash their hands with soap and practice physical distancing to prevent infection," Rekha Devi said. She observed that people, who did not have coronavirus exposure, are also susceptible to infection and are advised to follow Covid appropriate behaviour.
"The survey has demonstrated that crowded places have a very high risk of Covid-19 transmission," Rekha Devi added. Even as the daily positivity rate has dropped to around one per cent in the state, she felt that mass gatherings at upcoming festivals should be avoided and the public must take utmost precaution. "High-risk individuals like elderly people, persons with co-morbidities and children should take extra precautions," the senior scientist said.
The Regional Medical Research Centre, Dibrugarh (ICMR- RMRCNE), conducted the surveys in three districts in Assam, where serological samples were collected from 40 individuals of the selected 10 clusters (rural and urban areas) of each district for the general population and 100 healthcare workers from district hospitals, community health centres or Taluk hospitals. The survey was conducted in the same districts, Kamrup (Metro), Udalguri, and Karbi Anglong, where the third survey was carried out last year.