Bhubaneswar: On the first day of the second round of serological survey the Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) conducted serological tests on 635 individuals across 15 wards in the city.
The test will also continue tomorrow at in 10 more wards across the State Capital. The test will start at 8 am and continue till 6 pm. The 10 wards with locations are: Ward No 9 (Gadakana), Ward No. 12 (Patra Sahi), Ward No. 22 (Bharatpur Slum), Ward No 24 (RBI Colony), Ward No 35 (Bayababa Math Lane area), Ward No 37 (Trishna Apartment), Ward No 48 (Paika Nagar), Ward No 51 (Shatabdi Nagar), Ward No 62 (Kargil Basti) and Ward No 65 (Dumduma Phase IV).
The RMRC, a regional division of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is providing technical support under the leadership of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC). Health and Family Welfare Department is also contributing in the execution of the survey. There is a target to cover 1,500 people through this survey in two days’ time.
It can be mentioned here that unlike other three types of tests conducted across the city to know the positive or negative status of an affected individual due to COVID-19, this serological surveillance will provide insights into the community exposure levels which were very low during the first round (1.42%). After the two-day survey an interim report will be given to BMC by RMRC.
BMC Commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhary and RMRC Director Dr Samghamitra Pati are leading the entire exercise, which will reflect any change in the immunity levels in the same population sample, in which the first serological surveillance was conducted four weeks ago. In fact, technically after 28 days of the first serological surveillance, the second one is being conducted.
BMC has requested people to come to the testing facilities in selected locations of 10 wards so that target number of samples could be obtained. The Civic Body has also requested media houses to take a leadership role in motivating more people for the test tomorrow.
The community exposure to COVID-19 virus was relatively low in city due to a plethora of enforcement measures taken by the BMC authorities along with the Commissionerate Police. Due to more use of masks, practising physical distancing, frequent washing of hands and creating community awareness by public addressal system through 10 IEC vehicles engaged by BMC, the spread was contained to a certain extent.
A large majority of the population is still susceptible to the infection and hence all preventive measures of physical distancing, use of masks among others prescribed by the Government needs to be adhered without complacency.
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