SERO survey depicts antibodies in 95.31% cops, 91.66% health workers

Srinagar, Sep 10: Depicting widespread prevalence of Covid-19 infection, around 91.66 percent Police personnel and 95.31 percent health workers have been found to have antibodies against the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) CoV-2 infection due to a past infection and subsequent recovery, a survey conducted in July this year has revealed.

The survey has also revealed that the vaccination rate was 98 percent in Police personnel followed by 70.48 percent in health workers.

   

The antibodies are produced in the human body as a response to an infection, symptomatic or asymptomatic.

The antibodies are also generated safely with vaccination.

The sero prevalence studies conducted across Kashmir in July this year included two sub groups of healthcare providers and Police personnel.

The study revealed that the sero prevalence among the healthcare providers was 91.66 percent at the time of sampling.

“A total of 60.33 percent of healthcare providers had taken both the doses while another 19.15 percent had taken a single shot. However, the vaccination coverage has gone up since samples were taken,” the study reveals.

It said that around 95.31 percent of Police personnel had shown antibodies against SARS CoV-2 infection.

“A total of 90.01 percent of Police personnel had taken both the jabs while another 19.15 percent had received a single shot when the data was collected in July this year. It must have scaled up to almost 100 percent by now for both the doses,” it said.

The study also said that no Police personnel was admitted in hospital with Covid-19 severity.

The study was conducted by Government Medical College (GMC), Srinagar in collaboration with the Community Medicine Departments of SKIMS, SKIMS Medical College Srinagar, GMC Anantnag and GMC Baramulla.

The study was supported by the Directorate of Health Sciences Kashmir (DHSK) and J&K National Health Mission.

“The samples were tested in bio safety level-2 laboratory of the Department of Biochemistry GMC Srinagar while the Department of Community Medicine was the central coordinating unit,” it said.

The survey said that the data and blood samples from 731 healthcare workers and 981 samples from Police personnel were collected using customised Epicollect5 application while blood testing was done by the Department of Biochemistry at GMC Srinagar on Abbott Architect auto-analysers using chemiluminescent immunoassay technique.

“The data from these two subsets of population is showing promising trend as against 84.3 percent sero positivity among the general population as these two sub groups have been almost covered with full immunisation against Covid-19,” the study said.

“These figures encourage that all eligible persons should get both the jabs of Covid-19 vaccination to prevent severity of disease and hospital admissions,” said HoD Community Medicine GMC Srinagar, Dr S Muhammad Salim Khan, who is also the principal investigator of the study.

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