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<ul><li>Urban cities in the country including Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad are showing a dip in the number of infections and cases. </li><li><keyword id="48434" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="BMC">BMC</keyword> Sero survey indicates that 57% from slums in three wards in Mumbai have developed antibodies </li><li>Experts now believe that some parts of the country, especially the slums of India’s financial capital have developed Herd Immunity. </li><li>Herd Immunity occurs when a large number of people become immune to a contagious disease after being infected to it. </li><li>Business Insider India spoke to experts to understand the road ahead from here. </li></ul>Herd immunity occurs when a large number of people become immune to a contagious disease after being infected to it. The latest sets of data from the two of India’s biggest metro cities, New Delhi and Mumbai, has sparked the hope for herd immunity against COVID-19 but experts warn it may be too soon to rejoice. More than half of the population residing in slums in three different regions in Mumbai contracted coronavirus and developed its anti-bodies, according to a sero-surveillance study conducted by the city’s civic body, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFRE) and NITI Aayog (India’s premier think tank). <div type="image" title="Mumbai Sero Survey" msid="77238688" hostid="261"></div> Mumbai, where 800,000 people live in slums, has reported over 110,000 infections and 6,000 fatalities till June 29. The sero-surveillance started on June 3 and 6,936 samples out of an estimated 8,870 were collected from slum and non-slum population of three civic wards - R-North, M-West and F-North - in the first half of July. The case for possible herd immunity <div type="image" title="Dharavi2" msid="77238788" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Tempreature check up at Dharavi&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> “Although it is still unclear what level of prevalence leads to herd immunity, findings indicate at least in slums this could be attained sooner or later if the immunity exists and persists in a significant proportion of the population." the BMC statement read. “If someone is exposed and they develop antibodies, we can detect those antibodies and it gives us a relatively decent indicator that they were exposed. The interesting thing about the study is it was only looking for asymptomatic individuals. Symptomatic people are going to the system, they are getting treated, managed etc. Asymptomatic is something none of us could understand,” Dr. Marcus Ranney, General Manager (India) Thrive Global explained. This comes a week after a Delhi government survey stated that 30% of the people living in the national capital had anti-bodies of COVID-19. However, the jury is still out on whether herd immunity can stave off COVID-19 infections in the future. Here’s why herd immunity can’t be taken for granted <div type="image" title="Dharavi" msid="77238726" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;A child walks holding his grandfather&amp;#39;s walking stick at Dharavi&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> “We have to be very careful with the concept of allowing people to get infected with this virus to develop natural (herd) immunity. This approach does not seem to work (in this case). This is a very contagious infection, and it is clear that the virus can be devastating to those over the age of 60 or with underlying medical conditions,” said Issac Bogoch from the University of Toronto, Canada <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/herd-immunity-doesnt-seem-to-work-for-covid-19-need-to-be-careful/articleshow/77218380.cms">said in an interview with IANS</a>. The other downside of living in the hope of herd immunity is that it could put a lot of vulnerable people at risk. “Asymptomatic carry the same viral load as a symptomatic patient and they are not protected. An asymptomatic carrier is as lethal and as vulnerable as symptomatic. One asymptomatic can spread it to 217 people if the person is in a closed/family range, ” Prof. Dr. Sanjeev Bagai, the chairperson of Nephron Clinics, told Business Insider India Many of these people who get the virus passed on to them could be older people and those with co-morbidities like diabetes, Hepatitis and heart diseases to name a few. India has been the third-worst affected country and has reported 1.5 million cases. And even if a person does develop antibodies to fight COVID-19, they may not stay in the body forever. Research studies across the world have shown that the immunity drops 8 weeks or so after contracting COVID-19, according to Bagai. Even Ranney, who hopes that there will be herd immunity someday, warns against lowering the guard too soon. “We do not know the period of time this immunity lasts. We could see a repeated infection in the same individual (recovered patients). A King’s College study in London was suggestive that the immunity drops quite significantly,” <a href="https://twitter.com/BiIndia/status/1288331087832182786">Dr. Ranney </a>said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/mahindra-and-mahindra-finance-managing-director-gets-candid-about-the-rights-issue/articleshow/77212386.cms">EXCLUSIVE: M&amp;M Financial Managing Director gets candid about the rights issue, the bleak prospects for this year and why there should be no more loan moratorium</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/india-stock-brokers-hit-by-sebi-direct-market-access/articleshow/77198064.cms">India's broking industry just got the shock of its life – SEBI may soon allow investors to trade directly on the exchanges</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/these-10-indian-colleges-have-produced-indias-most-funded-startup-owners/slidelist/77140792.cms">These 10 Indian colleges have produced India’s most funded startup owners</a>

The slums in India's financial capital are showing signs of herd immunity but it is too soon to conclude

Mumbai, Buoyed by the encouraging results of the first Serological Surveillance for SARS-CoV2 Infection, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will conduct another similar survey from August 10, a top official said here on Thursday. BMC Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani said that after the results of the first survey in early-July, which tentatively pointed to '<keyword id="2147226" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="herd-immunity">herd immunity</keyword>', another survey will be carried out in the same BMC wards to further confirm this outcome. "It will be conducted in the regions of Matunga, Sion, <keyword id="157686" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Wadala">Wadala</keyword> (F/North), Chembur, Tilak Nagar (M/West) and Dahisar, Mandapeshwar (R/North), with a similar sample size but with different people from slums and housing complexes," Kakani told IANS. The outcome of the second survey -- likely to be available by early-September -- would enable the health authorities to state with confidence the developing or prevalence of 'herd immunity' in those regions, and chart out a Covid-19 combat strategy for other parts of Mumbai, he added. The country's biggest cross-sectional antibodies survey, it was conducted by the BMC along with NITI Aayog and TISS for 12-14 days in the first half of July, covering 6,936 people which threw up unanticipated results. Among other things, it pointed at women and slumdwellers leading the march towards a 'herd immunity' against Covid-19 in Mumbai - the country's worst-hit city. The survey showed that 57 per cent of those tested in the slums were exposed to and developed antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 Virus, compared to merely 16 per cent in housing complexes. For the slums, the figures thrown up were 59.30 per cent women (out of 2,297 tested) and 53.20 per cent men (out of 1,937 tested), who had developed antibodies against Covid. In the housing complexes, 16.80 per cent of the women tested and 14.90 per cent of the men tested had developed the antibodies. The BMC interprets this high exposure in slums to shared common facilities like toilets, water-taps, high population density and lack of physical distancing compared to the residents in housing complexes. With the results suggesting more asymptomatic infections, this higher exposure in slums points to an extremely low death-rate in Mumbai - "as low as 0.05 to 0.10 per cent" - instead of the existing 5.5 per cent. The official explained that the presence of antibodies indicated that the person had been infected, battled it away and in the process developed a certain level of resistance to the virus. Accordingly, more people with antibodies in a community is considered a positive sign as the virus had limited scope to spread, implying success of measures like wearing masks, physical distancing, etc, in these areas. Simultaneously, even the presence of antibodies among fewer persons in the housing complexes is considered encouraging as it indicates lesser number of infectees, due to better hygiene, more physical distancing and other interventions by the BMC, the official added. "These results will be valuable to learn more about 'herd immunity'. Although it is still unclear at what level of prevalence does herd immunity kicks in, findings indicate that, at least in slums, this could be attained sooner than later, if the immunity exists and persists in a significant proportion of the population," the BMC informed. The Anti-SARS-CoV2-IgG antibodies were detected using Chemiluminescence assay (CLIA) by Abbott group, in what is billed as the largest such cross-sectional survey in India. It was carried out in collaboration with Kasturba Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, ATE Chandra Foundation and IDFC Institute. The development comes a fortnight after <keyword id="2555741" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-World-Health-Organisation">the World Health Organisation</keyword> (WHO) on July 11 acknowledged the success of Maharashtra government in combating the Covid-19 outbreak in Dharavi, the largest slum in Asia. (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in) --IANS qn/in

Mumbai sero surveillance round 2 to begin from August 10

NEW DELHI: INSACOG experts are conducting genomic analysis of a coronavirus case reported as that of the highly transmissible XE variant by <keyword id="6358070" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="mumbai" source="Orion">Mumbai</keyword> civic officials, though scientific evidence so far does not indicate it to be so, official sources said on Wednesday. The <keyword id="53938" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="brihanmumbai-municipal-corporation" source="Orion">Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation</keyword> (BMC) on Wednesday said that a woman who had arrived there from <keyword id="6355117" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="south-africa" source="Orion">South Africa</keyword> in February-end and tested positive for COVID-19 on March was infected with the XE variant, which was first detected in the UK. However, official sources clarified, "Present evidence do not yet indicate that it is a case of XE variant." "Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) experts examined the <keyword id="13561011" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="fastq" source="Orion">FastQ</keyword> files of the sample and have inferred that the genomic composition of this variant which infected the Mumbai woman does not correspond with the genomic composition of the XE variant," an official source said. "INSACOG is conducting a genomic analysis of the case after a follow-up declared XE positive case of COVID-19 in Mumbai," the official source stated. According to Mumbai civic officials, a case of the Kappa variant was also detected during a sero survey and added the results came in genome sequencing of 376 samples, the 11th batch of testing in the local genome sequencing lab. According to the survey, <keyword id="1609796" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="omicron" source="Orion">Omicron</keyword> variant was found in 228 out of 230 samples (99.13 per cent cases) from Mumbai, the official said. The genome sequencing of 376 samples was conducted at the municipal <keyword id="6381041" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="kasturba-hospital" source="Orion">Kasturba Hospital</keyword>'s Genome Sequencing Lab. The condition of the patients infected with the new strains of the virus was not serious, the official said. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/gautam-adani-is-now-the-sixth-richest-person-in-the-world-as-per-forbes-real-time/articleshow/90698849.cms">Gautam Adani is now the sixth richest person in the world</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/neet-entrance-exam-to-be-held-on-july-17-registration-begins/articleshow/90698322.cms">NEET entrance exam to be held on July 17, registration begins</a>

Genomic evidence does not indicate XE variant in Mumbai patient, say official sources

(Eds: SPECIAL) New Delhi, Jun 13 () Amid a massive spurt in coronavirus cases in India, experts on Saturday came down hard on the ICMR for its sero-survey findings to assert that there was no community transmission of COVID-19, saying it was not reflective of the current situation and the government was showing "obstinacy" in accepting the truth. Emphasising that community transmission was on in many parts of the country, the experts asked the government to admit it so that people don't get complacent. The assertion by experts from the field of virology, public health and medicine came after Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Balram Bhargava at a media briefing on Thursday said that India is definitely not in the community transmission stage of COVID-19 spread while releasing the findings of the survey. India's first sero-survey to monitor the trend of coronavirus infection transmission found that 0.73 per cent of the 26,400 people surveyed from about 65 districts were exposed to coronavirus. AIIMS former director Dr M C Mishra said there is no doubt that there has been community transmission in several parts of the country. "With the mass exodus and the country unlocking, it has become more rapid and the disease has reached areas where there were no cases. It is high time the government comes to fore and acknowledges it so that people become more alert and do not become complacent," Mishra told . Talking about the ICMR sero-survey, he said the sample size of around 26,400 people is quite inadequate to capture the scale of the spread of the infection, especially keeping in mind the large population and the diversity of the country. Leading virologist Shahid Jameel said India reached the community transmission stage a long time ago. "It's just that the health authorities are not admitting it. Even ICMR's own study of SARI (severe acute respiratory illness) showed that about 40 per cent of those who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 did not have any history of overseas travel or contact to a known case. If this is not community transmission, what is," said Jameel. CEO of Wellcome Trust/Department of Biotechnology's India Alliance and best known for his extensive research in Hepatitis E virus and HIV, Jameel said an important point to consider is the sensitivity and specificity of the test that ICMR has not revealed, and even a one percent change would make a big difference in the results in areas of low prevalence. Noted lung surgeon Dr Arvind Kumar said that even if the ICMR argument is accepted, it cannot be denied that community transmission is happening in places like Delhi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai. "India is a vast country and every state is experiencing the virus differently and peaking at different times," said Kumar, who works at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here. "The antibodies take two weeks to develop so the survey is reflective of April. In April, we were in the best possible state. Based on a study representing the April situation, saying that we are not in community transmission is a wrong statement," he told . Chairman of one of the empowered groups set up to deal with the pandemic and NITI Aayog member Dr V K Paul had said the results of the survey indicate the situation of the country around April 30 as the study was conducted mostly around third week of May and antibodies against an infection take around 15 days to develop. While the sero-survey to estimate the fraction of population infected with SARS-CoV-2 in the general population has been completed, the survey in containment zones of hotspot cities is ongoing. India's COVID-19 tally breached the three-lakh mark on Saturday with a record single-day spike of 11,458 infections, while the death toll rose to 8,884 with 386 new fatalities, the Union Health Ministry said. With a COVID-19 caseload of 3,08,993, India is now the fourth worst-hit nation by the pandemic. The ICMR is doing a study of containment areas and that study will throw up much higher numbers that are likely to fall in the criteria of community transmission, Paul added. Dr Ravi Shekhar Jha, Head of the Department, Pulmonology, Fortis Escorts Faridabad, said he strongly feels that community transmission has occurred. "The government has stopped contact tracing. Earlier the government was doing rigorous contact tracing, but in the last 7-10 days no government, in Delhi or anywhere, is doing it. They know community transmission is happening, but are not accepting it," Jha told . On sero-survey, he said it has been done in places where there were not many cases and it should have been carried out in Dharawi or Delhi. If these surveys are not done in proper places then there is no point in doing it, he said. "It (survey) is definitely not reflective of the current situation. In the end of April we were in a reasonably good position anyways," he said. Dr Vikas Bajpai, assistant professor, Centre for Social Medicine and Community health at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, said if the government has decided that "obstinacy and blindness to truth" is going to be a matter of policy for it in fighting against this COVID-19 pandemic then it is pointless to try and make them see reason. "Community transmission is a stage when you are not able to track down the source of infection of a positive case despite thorough contact tracing. Then it is presumed that the virus is in general being transmitted in the community," he said. Hitting out at ICMR, he said it has mentioned that the study does not include data from the containment zones and the spread of the virus was not uniform everywhere. So if you exclude the most active areas of transmission which are the containment ones obviously the prevalence rate you will arrive at will not reflect the reality, Bajpai added. Dr Manoj Goel, Director and Head, Pulmonology, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, said it would not be right to believe that there is community transmission at the national-level, but it is definitely happening in certain cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad. The ICMR sero-survey found that lockdown and containment measures were successful in preventing rapid spread of the disease, but a large proportion of the population still remains susceptible. Bhargava had said the study surveyed a total of 83 districts with 26,400 people enrolling for it and 28,595 households were visited. The surveyed districts were categorised into -- zero cases, low incidence, medium incidence and high incidence--- and were selected based on incidence of reported COVID-19 cases as on April 25. The findings shared with the media stated that data from 65 districts has been compiled till now. PLB/UZM/ASK PYK PYK

Community transmission of COVID-19 on in many parts of India, ICMR survey not reflective of current reality: Experts

In a significant finding, a sero-survey conducted by the <keyword id="53938" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Brihanmumbai-Municipal-Corporation">BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation</keyword> (<keyword id="48434" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="BMC">BMC</keyword>) has revealed that 50 per cent of the pediatric population in <keyword id="6358070" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="mumbai">Mumbai</keyword> has developed <keyword id="9387280" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19-antibodies">Covid-19 antibodies</keyword>, ahead of the anticipated third wave of the pandemic, a top official said here on Monday. BMC Commissioner I.S. Chahal said that even the proportion of the pediatric population having antibodies has shown an increase, as per the survey, the fourth of its kind conducted between April 1 and June 15. While the sero-positivity is highest -- 53.43 per cent -- in the 10-14 age group, it is 51.04 per cent for 1-4, 47.33 per cent for 5-9 and 51.39 per cent for 15-18 age groups. The overall sero-positivity is 51.18 per cent, comprising 54.36 per cent in the public sector and 47.03 per cent in the private sector, indicating that more than half the pediatric population in a healthcare setting have already been exposed to <keyword id="8858345" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="sars-cov-2">SARS-COV-2</keyword>, said Chahal. The survey was conducted by a team of doctors comprising Jayanthi Shastri, Sachee Agrawal, Gargi Kakani, Surbhi Rathi, Ramesh Bharmal, Chandrakant Pawar, Kusum Jashnani and Gayathri Amonkar, under the supervision of Chahal and Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani. As compared to the Sero-survey 3 in March, which showed a sero-positivity of 39.04 per cent in the under-18 age group, there is a noticeable increase (51.18 per cent) in the latest survey, conducted jointly by BMC's <keyword id="6548875" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="BYL-Nair-Hospital">BYL Nair Hospital</keyword> and Kasturba Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory (KMDL). A total of 2,176 blood samples were made available from the samples received by various public (1,283) and private laboratories (893) and sent to the KMDL for analysis, against the backdrop of the imminent danger of the Covid 'third wave' to the pediatric population. The heartening outcome indicates that over 50 per cent of the pediatric population has antibodies to Covid-19 and the proportion has also increased as compared to the previous survey, amid apprehensions that the 'third wave' could affect the vulnerable youngsters in the below 18 age groups, against the higher ages that were hit in the previous two waves. The study has also suggested that the targeted health education and awareness about Covid-19 appropriate behavior should be created through various social media platforms (examples include memes, collaborating with social media influencers, etc.), cartoon advertisements and catchy jingles, according to Chahal. See Also - <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/tiger-global-overtakes-sequoia-as-the-top-investor-in-indian-unicorns-in-2021-cracks-15-deals-this-year-so-far/articleshow/83912624.cms">Tiger Global overtakes Sequoia as the top investor in Indian unicorns in 2021</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/kims-ipo-listed-in-stock-market-at-over-20-premium/articleshow/83912694.cms">KIMS IPO: Stock listed at over 20% premium, loses initial gains after soaring to ₹1059 per share</a>

COVID-19: 50% of kids in Mumbai have coronavirus antibodies, says the city's municipal body

<ul><li>The number of infections in some of the big cities are already past their peak and are likely to trend down hereon. </li><li>The latest Sero survey from two of the most affected cities in the country — <keyword id="6358070" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="mumbai">Mumbai</keyword> and Delhi — have sparked the hope for <keyword id="2147226" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="herd-immunity">herd immunity</keyword> against COVID-19. </li><li><keyword id="12864" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chennai">Chennai</keyword>, which recently emerged as the worst-affected city in Tamil Nadu, is likely to witness its peak soon.</li></ul>India's COVID-19 tally stands went from 1.4 million to 1.5 million in 2 days with a total of 34,193 deaths. At the same time the recoveries are just a little short of the million mark, according to <keyword id="3717035" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-union-health-ministry">the Union Health Ministry</keyword> data. However, there is a silver lining. As per the latest data by <a href="https://www.timesnownews.com/times-facts">India Outbreak Report</a>, the number of infections in Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Thane are already past their peak and are likely to trend down hereon. These are the dates in which other cities and states are likely to see the maximum number of daily infections, after which the daily increase will start waning. <div type="image" title="Peak-Pandemic (1)" msid="77242567" hostid="261"></div> The latest sero survey from two of the most affected cities in the country — Mumbai and Delhi — have sparked the hope for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/slums-in-mumbai-are-showing-signs-of-herd-immunity-but-it-is-too-soon-to-conclude/articleshow/77238721.cms">herd immunity</a> against COVID-19. However, experts warn that it may be too soon to say that a big chunk of the population has developed antibodies against the novel <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword>. Even those who may have, may see the resistance depleting after some time. The fall in active cases and fresh infections should not be a cue for being less careful. The count may fall but it will not disappear in a hurry. Masks, gloves, social distancing and other protective measures should continue to avoid contraction. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/mahindra-and-mahindra-finance-managing-director-gets-candid-about-the-rights-issue/articleshow/77212386.cms">EXCLUSIVE: M&amp;M Financial Managing Director gets candid about the rights issue, the bleak prospects for this year and why there should be no more loan moratorium</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/india-stock-brokers-hit-by-sebi-direct-market-access/articleshow/77198064.cms">India's broking industry just got the shock of its life – SEBI may soon allow investors to trade directly on the exchange</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/these-10-indian-colleges-have-produced-indias-most-funded-startup-owners/slidelist/77140792.cms">These 10 Indian colleges have produced India’s most funded startup owners</a>

These are the projected dates for peak COVID-19 infections in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Jaipur

(Eds: Adds details) Mumbai, May 27 () With 1,044 new COVID-19 cases, the tally in Mumbai rose to 33,835 on Wednesday, while the fatality count increased to 1,044 after 32 more patients succumbed to the viral infection, the city civic body said. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), in a release, said the metropolis will soon be part of a national survey which aims to determine socio-demographic risk factors for the COVID-19 infection and help in understanding its geographical spread. The civic body said 240 more patients were discharged from hospitals, taking the number of those who have recovered from the disease to 9,054. According to the release, out of the 32 COVID-19 patients who died, 15 had comorbidities (pre-existing health conditions). It also said 893 new suspected coronavirus patients were admitted at various hospitals on Wednesday. The BMC said national Sero-Surveillance (monitoring of presence or absence of specific substances in the blood serum of a population) to monitor the trend of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection transmission is going to start in Mumbai. "The ICMR is conducting the Sero-Surveillance in 60 districts of India, including 10 hotspot cities of which Mumbai is a part," it said. The BMC further said the objective of the survey is to estimate and monitor the trend of Sero-prevalence for COVID-19 infection in high burden cities. "It will determine socio-demographic risk factors for the COVID-19 infection and help in understanding the geographical spread of the infection in the general population and hotspot cities," said the release. This will be a base-line survey and there will be subsequent rounds, the civic body said. Highlighting the methodology of the survey, the BMC said as per ICMR guidelines, it will be conducted in 500 adults aged 18 years or more, and in five clusters identified randomly - Kandivali (East), Kandivali (West), Deonar, Dharavi and Kurla-Sakinaka. The civic body said the survey will be conducted with the help of local medical officer and health staff along with ICMR-National Institute of Immuno-Haematology teams supported by the WHO teams. "Teams will visit the randomly selected households and after obtaining consent, detail history of the person and the contact, if any, will be recorded," the BMC said. Survey teams will collect blood from each participant, the civic body said. According to the release, in the survey, the detection of COVID-19 specific IgG antibodies will be performed. Development of antibodies is a sign of exposure to the COVID- 19 infection. "The knowledge gained will help to evolve guidelines to help prevent and control the spread of infection in communities," the BMC said. KK RSY RSY

1,044 new COVID-19 cases in Mumbai; 32 more patients die

One of <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>'s top virologists, <keyword id="4956514" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="gagandeep-kang" source="Orion">Gagandeep Kang</keyword>, said on Thursday that going by what we know about the 'XE' variant of Covid-19 till now, it doesn't seem there is too much cause to worry. The variant spreads a little faster, but it doesn't seem to cause a more severe disease, she told IANS. "We are more worried about severe diseases, and if that's not happening, I think we should track it, but not worry too much about it," <keyword id="235260" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="kang" source="Orion">Kang</keyword> said on the reported detection of the 'XE' variant in Mumbai. However, the INSACOG has denied the detection of XE variant, saying that this variant does not correlate with the genomic picture of the 'XE' variant. INSACOG is the forum set up under the <keyword id="191419" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ministry-of-health-and-family-welfare" source="Orion">Ministry of Health and Family Welfare</keyword> to study and monitor genome sequencing and virus variation of circulating strains of Covid-19 in India. Speaking to IANS, Kang said that it is for the INSACOG to say whether it is really XE, but we shouldn't be worried about it as sooner or later we are likely to see the XE variant in the country. She emphasised that whenever we see a new variant, the important thing is to note what implications it has for the country -- is it going to start a new wave, are people going to fall seriously sick etc. Talking about reports claiming that the XE variant has 10 per cent more transmissibility as compared to <keyword id="1609796" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="omicron" source="Orion">Omicron</keyword>, Kang said that these are findings from the UK, because they do a lot of sequencing. "For them, it is possible to look at the secondary attack rate, i.e., if one person is infected, how many persons will get infected from that primary source and also how fast will that happen. Only in the UK, finding such data is possible, but in India we don't even notice," she said. Commenting on a Covid booster dose for all in India, Kang said that there is no need for booster for all. "Recently, sero-survey has indicated that about 80 per cent of children who have not been vaccinated are sero positive. It means that 80 per cent of the population has exposure to the virus. If 80 per cent has already been infected or exposed to the virus, along with two doses of vaccine, why should booster be given to those people who are generally healthy? "Administering a precautionary doses to those who are at the risk of severe diseases makes sense, but not for a healthy population." SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/ev-based-zypp-electric-appoints-tushar-mehta-as-cofounder-coo/articleshow/90706435.cms">EV-based Zypp Electric appoints Tushar Mehta as cofounder, COO</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/unacademy-reportedly-lays-off-1000-employees-from-sales-business-and-other-functions/articleshow/90709336.cms">Unacademy reportedly lays off 1000 employees from sales, business and other functions</a>

Eminent virologist says no need to worry about the 'XE' variant of Omicron

New Delhi, May 25 () The top 10 hotspot cities reporting the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country will be covered in a serosurvey to estimate the prevalence of community transmission of the infection, according to protocols drafted by researchers from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and other agencies. Besides, the survey would also be conducted in 60 districts of 21 states and Union Territories categorized into four strata -- zero, low, medium and high -- according to the reported COVID cases per million population, as per the protocols for community-based surveillance published in the IJMR (Indian Journal of Medical Research). Among the top 10 cities reporting the maximum number of cases are Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Ahmedabad, Thane, Indore, Jaipur, Chennai and Surat.The protocols -- titled 'National sero-surveillance to monitor the trend of SARS-CoV-2 infection transmission in India: Protocol for community-based surveillance -- for carrying out the survey was published in the IJMR on Sunday. The ICMR said in a statement that the household-level cross-sectional survey will cover 24,000 adults distributed equally across four strata of districts -- 15 districts from each category. Sero-survey involves testing of blood serum of individuals to monitor trends in prevalence of the SARS-CoV2 at district level. "The trend of seropositivity will also be looked at to monitor the community-level transmission. Pooled seroprevalence from the group of districts for each of the four strata will be used to estimate the prevalence of COVID-19 infection in the country," according to the protocols. The initial survey would serve as a baseline to determine the sero prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the community and in high-burden cities as well, while the subsequent rounds would help to monitor the trends of infection in the community. The findings of the survey will also guide the strategy for making decisions related to lockdown options at district level, the document said. "The objectives of this serosurveillance are to estimate and monitor the trend of seroprevalence for SARS-CoV-2 infection in the general population and high-burden cities, determine the socio-demographic risk factors for the coronavirus infection and delineate the geographical spread of the infection in the general population and hotspot cities," the ICMR said. The ELISA-based antibody tests would be used and data collection will be done using a mobile-based application. "The results of the survey will provide information about spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection in different parts of the country. As a part of the study, people from red, orange and green zones in a district will be tested for COVID-19 at random to check whether they have developed antibodies against the infection even though they remained asymptomatic or showed mild symptoms," an expert associated with the survey had said. The survey will involve collection of venous blood samples from 400 randomly selected individuals (one per household) from 10 clusters in each district, the official had said. Explaining the procedures to be followed, the document stated that the study team will visit the randomly selected households and brief them about the survey objectives and process involved. After obtaining written consent, information on basic demographic details, exposure history to laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases, symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 in the preceding one month and clinical history will be recorded, it said. A nationally representative serosurvey with multistage sampling design will be useful to identify the most affected areas and provide crucial data to develop epidemiological models to predict the trajectory of COVID-19, the document said. Instead of waiting for the end of the epidemic, repeated serosurveys carried out at regular intervals can be a useful tool to monitor the epidemic precisely, it said. The survey is being conducted by the ICMR, New Delhi, in collaboration with the Department of Health, the National Centre for Disease Control with support from state health departments and key stakeholders, including the WHO. The survey is coordinated by ICMR's National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE) and National Institute of Research in Tuberculosis (NIRT), Chennai. PLB TIR TIR

You Searched For "mumbai sero survey" and got 9 results

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Mumbai sero surveillance round 2 to begin from August 10

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Genomic evidence does not indicate XE variant in Mumbai patient, say official sources

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These are the projected dates for peak COVID-19 infections in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Jaipur

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1,044 new COVID-19 cases in Mumbai; 32 more patients die

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Eminent virologist says no need to worry about the 'XE' variant of Omicron

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COVID: Serosurvey in 10 hotspot cities, 60 other dists to determine community transmission

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