While Madhya Pradesh has the highest seroprevalence in India (79 per cent), Kerala figures at the bottom of the table (44.4 per cent), according to the findings of a serosurvey conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
The survey, which was conducted between June 14 and July 6, across 70 districts of the country found that at least two-thirds of the population surveyed in 11 states has Covid antibodies. This is the fourth national serosurvey conducted by the ICMR.
Stating the findings of the survey, the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday said that seroprevalence in Assam is 50.3 per cent and in Maharashtra is 58 per cent.
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Further, seroprevalence was found to be 76.2 per cent among the surveyed population in Rajasthan, 75.9 per cent in Bihar, 75.3 per cent in Gujarat, 74.6 per cent in Chhattisgarh, 73.1 per cent in Uttarakhand, 71 per cent in Uttar Pradesh, 70.2 per cent in Andhra Pradesh, 69.8 per cent in Karnataka, 69.2 in Tamil Nadu and 68.1 per cent in Odisha.
Referring to the findings, the Health Ministry has advised states and union territories to conduct seroprevalence studies of their own in consultation with the ICMR to ensure that those studies follow a standardized protocol.
The findings of such serosurveys can then be utilized quickly by the states to guide objective, transparent and evidence-based public health response to Covid-19.
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"The national sero-survey by ICMR was designed to capture the extent of the spread of Covid infection at the national level. Therefore, the national serosurvey results do not reflect the heterogeneity of seroprevalence between districts and even between states," a statement said.
(With PTI inputs)
