UP Conducts 2 Sero Surveys to Map Prevalence of Covid-19 in Rural & Urban Areas, Results to be Out Next Month

Two ongoing sero surveys in Uttar Pradesh, conducted by the state's Health and Family Welfare Department and Indian Council Medical Research in the urban and rural pockets of the state, are expected to give a glimpse of the prevalence of Covid-19 infection during the unlock phase.

The exercise by ICMR — a part of surveillance efforts undertaken at a nationwide level — will involve population-based sero surveys that will be undertaken in seven districts across the state, including in Gautam Buddh Nagar, Saharanpur, Auraiya, Unnao, Gonda, Mau and Balrampur.

The results of this sero survey, which involves blood serum testing to determine the antibodies against Covid-19 infection, is expected in the month of September.

The ICMR had earlier conducted a sero survey during the time of lockdown in nine other districts of the state which showed that merely 1% of the population in cities was exposed to the infection. However, the current data of UP Health Department makes it quite clear that the infection has spiked in the state, especially in urban centres.

Addressing a media briefing on Friday, Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Amit Mohan Prasad said, “The Uttar Pradesh Health and Family welfare department will be conducting a sero survey in 12 districts of the state soon in coordination with the King George Medical University, Lucknow. This will be done once the sero survey by ICMR is done and this will be done in districts including state capital Lucknow, Bareilly, Meerut, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Kaushambi, Prayagraj, Moradabad, Agra, Baghpat and Ghaziabad. The report of this sero survey by the state health department is also expected in the month of September.”

Meanwhile, the latest data from the UP Health Department shows that 4,991 fresh Covid-19 cases and 66 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours in Uttar Pradesh. Till date, 12,66,57 people have been discharged from hospitals while there are 47,785 active cases in the state. Out of new infections, a maximum of 620 cases along with 18 deaths were reported from the state capital Lucknow.