COVID-19: BMC to reveal results of fifth sero survey soon; May show 70-80% population with antibodies

According to reports, the results of the fifth serosurvey, which was recently conducted by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), will be revealed in the next few days. 

However, it has come to light that Mumbai may be close to herd immunity against COVID-19, said BMC sources.

A BMC official said that nearly 70 per cent to 80 per cent of those surveyed in the city’s 24 civic wards in August had antibodies to coronavirus. The data also revealed that Mumbai has also administered at least one dose to 82 per cent of the total eligible population.

Also Read: Sero Survey reveals 50% of children in Mumbai have COVID-19 antibodies. Read here

On the other hand, a TOI report said that BMC additional commissioner Suresh Kakani refused to confirm the numbers. Moreover, experts have suggested that if a new variant emerges, then everyone could be vulnerable to the virus.

As the festive season has begun, the BMC administration is still worried that people will become lax about COVID-appropriate behaviour such as wearing a mask or maintaining social distance. 

For those unversed, the fifth survey was done during the lockdown, in the second week of August ahead of the rising curve noticeable in the last 15 days in the city. 

The seroprevalence studies are conducted to get the evidence of past exposure to the virus and to know the spread of infection in the population, the civic body stated.

Previously, four serosurveys were conducted last year. The BMC had conducted the first and second serosurveys in July and August 2020, respectively, in three civic wards. While the third survey was conducted in March this year in 24 wards. The fourth sero survey from May to June, in the pediatric age group, had shown about 50 per cent with antibodies against COVID-19.

Reports suggest that the first serosurvey showed 57 per cent population in slums had antibodies, which reduced to 45 per cent in the second survey in August 2020. Whereas, the third sero survey had shown that 36.3 per cent of the population had antibodies against COVID-19.

Also Read: BMC informs slum areas remain in focus even as sero survey indicates COVID-19 spread is declining