The Kolkata Municipal Corporation is undertaking a serological survey in the city to ascertain people’s susceptibility and level of immunity to fight the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Serological surveys for infectious diseases can help define the dynamics of population immunity. These are generally used to quantify the number of people positive for a specific antibody and help in the understanding of a population’s vulnerability, susceptibility, strength and level of immunity.
Last week, KMC administrator Firhad Hakim held a meeting at the municipal body’s headquarters on SN Banerjee Road and is learnt to have taken the decision for conducting a serological survey for the city.
Sixteen wards – one in every borough – has been selected for the survey. Blood samples of 40 persons from each of these wards will be collected. Apart from this, five wards where containment zones have continued to remain constant for weeks, have also been selected. From these wards, a hundred persons will be made part of the survey. The samples will be sent to Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Chennai. The purpose of the sample collection and tests is to get an idea about how much antibody has been created in the population.
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After the report comes in after a month, the KMC might take the decision to conduct the survey in other wards, said an official.
