According to fourth national sero survey, by June this year, India was detecting just 1 in every 30 Covid cases, highest sero positivity found in 45-60 years age group (77.6 per cent).
At 55.7% and 63.5%, respectively, a mid-term analysis of the AIIMS survey found seroprevalence in children already high and comparable to the adult population.
According to Neelkanth Mishra, a top official at Credit Suisse, many districts could have herd immunity. However he noted this was just a hypothesis and an actual sero survey should follow.
The last sero survey from December 2020 estimated that India was missing infections by a factor of 27. Without a sero survey no such assessment is possible now.
CSIR conducted 2 follow-up sero surveys on people found to be seropositive in a nationwide survey last year. The one conducted after 6 months revealed an interesting finding.
Sources said around 28,000 samples will be collected during the exercise. The outcome of the fifth round of sero survey had found Covid antibodies in over 50% of the population.
ICMR, in its newsletter, lists achievements — from starting a multi-centre trial on plasma therapy to conducting national sero surveys — but says we must remain 'Covid conscious'.
India should have secured greater savings by pressing Russia for prices nearer the cap while sustaining high volumes. This would have preserved strategic autonomy and served economic logic.
One such website has drawn particular scrutiny for spreading fake stories that have upset not only the Indian but also foreign defence firms by falsely attributing misinformation.
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