Large population still vulnerable to Covid-19: ICMR’s 3rd national serosurvey

The urban slums have reported the highest seroprevalence with 31.7 per cent, the ministry said. The urban slums had reported the highest seroprevalence in the last serosurvey as well, with population density coupled with high mobility, and challenges in safe distancing and hand hygiene being the key driver of spread of infection.

On the positive side, the ministry said India’s Covid-19 cumulative positivity rate is 5.42 per cent now and showing further signs of declining. The positivity rate last week was at 1.82 per cent, the Health ministry said.

The ministry further said that there are now 47 districts that have not reported any new Covid-19 case and 251 districts have not registered any new death in last three weeks.

On the vaccination drive, the government said by 1:30 pm on today, a total of 45,93,427 beneficiaries have been vaccinated against Covid-19. A total of 1,239 private facilities and 5,912 public facilities are being used as Covid-19 immunisation sites in country, it added.

The ministry further said that Tamil Nadu, Assam, Jammu and Kashmir were among the 11 states, UTs that have vaccinated 30 per cent or less health workers against Covid-19.

The last serosurvey released in November last year had found that nearly seven per cent of India’s population aged ten and above was exposed to the coronavirus, amounting to an estimated 74.3 million infections by August.