5th sero-surveillance starts in Mumbai; 8,000 samples to be collected across 24 wards

Sample collection in slum areas will be done through municipal dispensaries, and in non-slum areas through clinics of selected general practitioners

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday began the fifth sero-surveillance for coronavirus, in the city, in view of the anticipated third wave. As part of this survey, around 8,000 samples will be randomly collected from slum and non-slum areas across 24 administrative wards. These will be tested at Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital at Sion.

A BMC health worker collects swab samples for Covid test of a citizen at Kherwadi BMC Hospital, in Bandra (East). (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO)

Seroprevalence studies are conducted to understand past exposure of an individual to a virus and to know the extent of the spread of infection in the population, with the prevalence of antibodies.

The fifth serosurvey is being conducted with the help of IDFC Institute and ATE Chandra Foundation, BMC said in a statement on Thursday. Sample collection in slum areas will be done through municipal dispensaries, and in non-slum areas through clinics of selected general practitioners.

So far, four surveys have been conducted by BMC in Mumbai. The first and second serosurvey was done in July and August 2020, in three wards; the third survey was conducted in March 2021 in all 24 wards; and the fourth survey was conducted from May to June this year, in the pediatric age group.