Covid-19: Delhi’s third sero-survey shows 33% have antibodies against Coronavirus

The third serological survey conducted in the national capital has found that about a third of Delhi population has been exposed to Coronavirus. According to a report by The Indian Express, a total of 33 per cent of the participants who were part of the sero-survey conducted in September were found to be carrying antibodies against the virus.

The findings of the survey which have not been revealed will be submitted in the Delhi High Court today. However, the number of people who have been exposed to the lethal virus has not seen a substantial jump since the previous round of sero-survey which was conducted in August. The second sero-survey had suggested the share of infected population at 29.1 per cent.

A senior Delhi government official who wanted to remain anonymous told The Indian Express that wearing face masks and maintaining physical distance are very crucial to limit the spread of the virus since only one third of the population has contracted the virus in the city so far.

On the other hand, Delhi recorded a total of 48 casualties related to Coronavirus on Tuesday which is the highest since July 8. The fatality rate has also spiked up in the past 10 days, increasing from 0.94 per cent to 1.12 per cent. Conceding that the increase in deaths related to Coronavirus was a matter of concern, the official said that the administration is planning ways to decrease the mortality rate. The number of cases of Coronavirus has also been increasing due to ramped up testing by the government. On Tuesday, a total of 3,227 positive cases of Coronavirus were traced out of about 59,000 test samples. The positivity rate over the past week has hovered between six and seven per cent.

In another related development, the Delhi government data showed that about 38 per cent of the Covid patients admitted into hospitals required oxygen support. According to the data from September 22, out of the total of 7,242 Coronavirus patients admitted into different hospitals of the city, 2,793 patients were on Oxygen support. On the other hand, the same data showed that about 3.83 per cent of the admitted patients were on ventilator support.

Several Delhi government officials told The Indian Express that oxygen supply was available on most beds apportioned for Coronavirus patients. The officials also said that early supply of oxygen helped in quick recovery of patients.