E-Paper
Over 85% healthcare workers in 3 Odisha districts developed Covid-19 antibodies
The serosurvey was conducted among 1,230 community and 311 health workers in Ganjam, Rayagada and Koraput districts.
Over 85 per cent of healthcare workers in three Odisha districts have developed Covid-19 antibodies, a serosurvey report conducted by Bhubaneswar’s Regional Medical Research Centre revealed.
Director of state health services, Bijay Mohapatra, said the serosurvey was conducted among 1,230 community and 311 health workers in Ganjam, Rayagada and Koraput districts by the Regional Medical Research Centre of ICMR with logistical support from the Odisha government. The serosurvey was conducted between June 16 and 20.
While Covid-19 antibodies were found in 85.53 per cent of healthcare workers, the overall sero prevalence in those districts is 65.12 per cent. Ganjam topped the chart with 70.9 per cent sero prevalence, Rayagada and Koraput came at second and third place with 63 per cent and 61.3 per cent, respectively.
Mohapatra said the serosurvey report was satisfactory compared to the national average of 67.6 per cent. “People developed antibodies due to direct exposure to Covid-19 in both the first and second waves and after getting vaccinated against the virus. Senior citizens and healthcare workers have mostly developed antibodies as they were vaccinated in the first phase,” he said.
He said 50-60 per cent of the children surveyed were found to have developed antibodies. They are likely to have got the infection from their parents or other family members.
RMRC director Sanghamitra Pati said the antibodies are likely to continue for at least 16 weeks.
Like the rest of the country, Odisha was hit hard by the second wave of Covid-19 with the state reporting 12,852 cases on May 22. Since then, the cases are declining but the number of daily deaths has gone up. On Saturday, Odisha reported 69 deaths.
