Noida: 59.23% children have Covid antibodies, finds ICMR study

The results of the serological survey conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), that was released last week, have revealed that 59

The results of the serological survey conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), that was released last week, have revealed that 59.23% children in the age group of 6-18 years in Gautam Budh Nagar have developed antibodies against Covid-19.

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The nationwide survey took place between June and July this year. Ten teams comprising members from the ICMR’s National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR) and the district health department collected 400 blood samples from Gautam Budh Nagar between June 29-30 this year.

According to the national level figures released by the medical body on July 25, 28,975 people were tested, of whom 67.6% tested positive for the Covid antibodies.

“Sero positivity means that the individuals have been exposed to Covid-19 in the past and have developed antibodies to fight the virus. However, having antibodies doesn’t mean that the person was symptomatic, nor does it mean that the person will be immune to the infection in future. Considering the lack of information at the national level, there was a need to generate evidence on SARS-CoV-2 infection among the population, more so in light of the ongoing planning and prioritization for the vaccination,” said Dr Shalini Singh, director of ICMR-NICPR.

In Gautam Budh Nagar, the results found that 66.7% of the of 400 samples collected have the antibodies against Covid-19. GB Nagar was one of the 70 districts across India that was chosen for the survey.

“As many as 130 samples of children below 18 years and 270 samples of adults were taken. An additional 100 samples of healthcare workers working at Sector 30’s district hospital was also taken,” said Dr Amit Kumar, district public health expert.

Now, an analysis of the data reveals that 77 (59.23%) of the 130 children have Covid antibodies. Of the 130 samples, 40 were of children between the age of six and nine--22 (55%) of which tested positive in the sero survey. Fifty-five (38%) of the 90 children between the age of 10-18 years, whose samples were collected, have developed antibodies.

According to the national data, seroprevalence among children of 6-9 years is 57.2% while it is 61.6% for those between 10-18 years. According to the survey’s findings, “More than half of the children (six to less than 18 years) were seropositive.”

According to infectious diseases expert Dr Ishwar Gilada, the seropositivity among children is lesser than that of the general population, which is all the more reason to expedite their vaccinations in the country.

“The Union health ministry is working towards starting vaccination of children. The trials are still underway and vaccination of children is likely to start by September this year. As per the data in sero-survey, seropositivity among children between 6-18 years old is less than that of general population which is between 66 to 67%. As schools are about to start, it is all the more important to inoculate children,” said Dr Gilada, who is also the secretary-general of Organised Medicines Academic Guild.

When asked, chief medical officer Dr Sunil Kumar Sharma said, “I am yet to see the data of the GB Nagar serosurvey. Once I have assessed it, the health department will strategise its public health response”.