The results of the fifth sero survey conducted by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in Mumbai in August 2021 were announced on Friday, 17 September, showing that 86.64 percent of the 8,674 people surveyed had antibodies against the coronavirus.
The results are a major relief for Mumbai, being much higher than the third sero-survey conducted in March, which had found that only 36.3 percent of the people surveyed had antibodies against COVID-19.
In the fifth and latest survey, 8,674 people were included. The study estimates around 87.02 percent sero positivity rate in slums and 86.22 percent prevalence in non-slums.
This is the first time that there is a slight difference in sero positivity of slum and non-slum population in the city. In the third sero survey conducted in March this year, 41.6 percent sero positivity rate was found in slum areas and 28.5 percent in non-slum areas.
Impact of a Comprehensive Vaccination Program
The latest sero-survey was conducted from 12 August to 8 September this year. The vaccine population was also included in this sero-survey.
The BMC was expecting to see an increase in antibodies found due to the large-scale vaccination program. Moreover, the survey found that 90.26 percent antibodies were present in people who had received one or both vaccine doses, compared to 79.86 percent in those who did not take the vaccine.
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