MP: Samples of 1,700 people taken for ICMR's COVID-19 survey

As part of its nationwide survey to estimate prevalence of coronavirus infection in India, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has collected samples of 1,700 common people from four districts in Madhya Pradesh, who have t shown any symptoms of this disease.

Scientists expressed hope that results of this survey will provide accurate information about spread of epidemic among population in se four districts- Indore, Dewas, Ujjain and Gwalior.

According to m, it will also help ascertain if re has been community transmission of virus and wher collective immunity has developed in people.

This nation-wide has been named sero-survey.

Under this survey, Jabalpur-based National Institute of Research in Tribal Health (NIRTH) has collected blood samples of people from four districts in state.

Talking to PTI on Friday, Aparup Das, Director of NIRTH, said, "Under nationwide sero-survey of ICMR, blood samples of 500 people in random containment zones of Kovid-19 in Indore have been randomly taken, including fever and colds.

epidemic was t common and looked healthy."

Under this survey, blood serum of people is being investigated to monitor spread of SARS-CoV-2 ( virus that spreads Covid-19).

"After examining serum of blood, it will be especially important to kw how immune system has reacted if that person has been suffering from SARS-CoV-2 attack and wher antibodies developed against this virus in ir blood or t? Obviously, it will also provide information about herd immunity," he said.

"se days, a large number of COVID-19 cases are coming up across state, in which patients do t show common symptoms of this infection, while many or infected people have common symptoms," Das said.

scientific community is trying to find out if this situation is due to differences in people's personal immunity, he added.

He said that under ICMR's sero-survey, samples of 500 people in Indore and of 400 people each in Dewas, Ujjain and Gwalior districts have been taken.

Indore is among most affected districts of coronavirus infection in country in Madhya Pradesh, where 3,344 patients have been found so far, of whom 126 have died.

All se samples have been sent to ICMR's Chennai- based institute for examination, he said.

"We have selected high-transmission, medium- transmission and low-transmission districts of COVID-19 in state under sero-survey. A comparative study of survey results will show why SARS-CoV-2 spread in Indore rapidly and what was reason behind relatively low spread of virus in or districts," he added.

According to Das, survey report will be shared with all states of country to help m decide strategy against COVID-19.