ICMR to conduct 4th round of sero-survey in Pulwama

SRINAGAR — The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting the fourth round of “National Sero-survey for COVID-19” in the same 70 districts in which the first three rounds were conducted.

This survey will cover general population aged six years and above and health care workers working in district hospitals of these districts, officials said. The findings of the sero-survey will help in ascertaining the current situation of COVID-19 in India.

In Jammu & Kashmir, the survey will be conducted in Pulwama district through Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Srinagar during third week of current month for which a meeting with DC Pulwama Baseer-ul-Haq, CMO Pulwama Dr. Hassina Mir and District Epidemiologist Dr. Syed Arshad was held to chalk out the plan as per ICMR guidelines, they said.

“During the survey, 400 blood samples shall be collected across already designated 10 cluster and 100 samples from health care providers in district Pulwama,” said Dr. S. Muhammad Salim Khan, HOD Community Medicine and Nodal Officer for Pulwama study by ICMR.

In last three rounds conducted in 2020, the sero-prevalence of SARS CoV-2 infection among general population was found to be 2%, 27.3% and 31.5% respectively during the months of May-June, August-September and December, the officials said.

This fourth round has important significance due to widespread infection during second COVID-19 wave and the vaccination drive against SARS CoV-2 infection among the adult population during last 4-5 months.

The study is coordinated by ICMR’s National Institute of Epidemiology and facilitated by National Institute of Research on Tuberculosis Chennai for Pulwama district.