National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad released its latest sero survey findings on Tuesday, 9 February, that stated that one out of four people in Telangana have COVID-19 antibodies. Meaning, one-fourth of the state’s population has been exposed to the deadly virus.
The survey, which had taken samples from three districts in Telangana-Jangaon, Nalgonda and Kamareddy, put the “sero-positivity rate at 24 percent”.
This means that 24 percent of the population tested positive when a serological test was conducted for the COVID-19 antibody.
As per a media statement issued by NIN, the same districts of Telangana had recorded a low sero-positivity rate of 0.33 per cent in May 2020 and 12.5 per cent in August 2020.
“The sero-prevalence at the national level went up 3.1 times between August and December but in Telangana state this went up by two times. Telangana’s sero-prevalence (24.1 percent) as of December 2020, is similar to that of national average which is 24 percent,” a statement from R Hemalatha, director of NIN, read.
Since three-fourth of the rural population in Telangana is still susceptible, all non-pharmacological COVID-19 measures like wearing masks, hand sanitisation and physical distancing should be continued, the statement read.
On 5 February ICMR had revealed its national sero survey data, which showed that 21 percent of India’s adult population has been exposed to COVID-19.
Earlier the fifth round of sero-survey in Delhi had revealed that 56.13 percent of the city’s population had developed COVID-19 antibodies.
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