PCMC’s second Sero survey to include children

PUNE The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has decided to conduct its second Sero survey, with sample size that will include children

PUNE The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has decided to conduct its second Sero survey, with sample size that will include children.

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This will be the first Sero survey in Pune district to attempt to identify anti-bodies among children, ahead of the third wave.

Speaking to reporters via video conferencing, PCMC commissioner Rajesh Patil said that the civic body is planning to conduct its largest sero survey since the pandemic struck, which will include 10,000 samples.

The Pune municipal corporation (PMC) has conducted one Sero survey with a nominal sample size of 1,664 across five sub-wards in Pune.

The PMC survey found that 51.5% of the samples tested positive for antibodies.

PCMC conducted its first Sero survey in October 2020 and had a sample size of 5,000.

“In view of the much anticipated third wave, we will conduct a Sero survey and profile the antibodies. This will include all areas under the civic body. It will mainly include children and younger adults,” Patil said.

No sero survey in PMC, but parents urged to not miss regular immunisations for children

When asked if the PMC is also planning a survey, additional commissioner Rubal Agarwal said, “We are not planning any such survey, but we had done a Sero survey along with NIV earlier, the results of which will be made public very soon.”

While the 13-member paediatric task force in Pune has not suggested any survey, such sero surveys help understand the spread of infection and also future containment measures, said experts.

Dr Aarti Kinikar, who heads the task force and is the head of the paediatric department at Sassoon General hospital, said, “From our observation, until now, we have found that very few children would need hospitalisation, medication or even ICU management. Most would probably need only home isolation. However, to ensure that we are well prepared, along with the beds and oxygen management, we are also working to make sure that the required medicines are stocked as children cannot be given the same medicine as adults.”

“However, in case of multi-inflammatory syndrome (MISC) in children we do require expensive drugs like Intravenous immunoglobulin or Dexamethasone, in small quantities, as per the child’s weight. The central government has also made MISC a notifiable disease.”

Experts on the panel also appealed to parents to ensure that children do not remain miss routine immunisations.

Dr Sanjay Natu, president of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP), Pune chapter, said, “All under the age of five must be vaccinated as per the state and central routine immunisation programme. Especially high risk children, which includes those suffering from malnutrition, congenital diseases, anaemia, obesity, heart disease, chronic ailments of kidney and liver, developmental problems, diabetes, blood pressure, blood related ailments, sickle cell anaemia, HIV and tuberculosis.”

“While influenza is a seasonal vaccination programme which is mandatory for children under five, high-risk children aged above five can also get the seasonal flu vaccine. However, to be clear, influenza vaccine works only against the seasonal flu and cannot be correlated to the Covid19 infection.”