VISAKHAPATNAM: After conducting serosurveillance in Krishna, Anantapur, East Godavari and Nellore districts, the state government has kicked off the survey—which estimates the presence of antibodies against an infectious disease and measures a population’s immunity against the infection—in Visakhapatnam district as well. Blood samples will be collected from 5,000 people, including 1,000 frontline workers, from containment and non-containment zones in urban and rural areas.
According to officials, as 90 per cent of Covid patients in the district are asymptomatic, the survey is being taken up as per the ICMR guidelines to determine the level of herd immunity among the citizens.The blood samples, to be collected by 10 teams of medical officers, lab technicians, health assistants and ANMs, will be sent to laboratories in Pune and Hyderabad.
Meanwhile, the district breached the 37,000 mark in Covid tally though there is a drop in infection rate over the last five days. At the same time, more than 30,000 have recovered from the disease.On Monday, Vizag reported 434 new cases and six deaths even as the toll here stood at 258. There are now 6,511 active cases against 6,561 on Sunday, according to special Covid officer for Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts PV Sudhakar.Also, a voluntary lockdown in Anakapalle, which has been in force since August 11, has been extended by a week. However, relaxations were given to commercial establishments, which can now function from 6 am to 6 pm.