NEW DELHI: Following the footsteps of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the Delhi government extended its own sero survey to other districts on Sunday. On Saturday, the government’s sero survey was carried out in four districts — North, North West, Central and New Delhi.
Though sources said the target was to cover six more districts, only East and Northeast districts confirmed the survey till the latest report came in the late evening. “When the last time sero survey was conducted by the NCDC, we had successfully achieved the sample collection target that was set and this time we will complete it well within time again,” said Shashi Kaushal, District Magistrate, North East.
East Delhi DM Arun Mishra also stated that the process of collecting samples have already begun in his jurisdiction, however, the exact figure couldn’t be provided by early evening as counting wasn’t completed. For the surveillance, 15,000 samples are to be collected till August 7 of which one-fourth of them are to be taken from people who are aged fifty and above. Owing to Eid and Raksha Bandhan, two more days have been added to complete the survey.
The survey will also not include those who were included in the previous exercise by NCDC. As per the SOP for the survey that began on Saturday, each sample collection team is to collect 25-40 samples per day. “Districts are to ensure that of the total number of samples, 25 per cent are of those younger than 18 years, another 50 per cent are in the age group of 18-49 years and remaining 25 per cent of those in age group of 50 years or more,” reads the SOP. The SOP notes that teams will collect the samples and will transport the samples the same day to the designated laboratories for processing. Sample collection must be completed latest by 2 pm so that samples reach the designated labs latest by 4 pm.