BHUBANESWAR: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is all set to conduct the first serial sero- survey in Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) area from Saturday to ascertain whether there is community transmission in the city.
A total of 2500 blood samples would be collected randomly from people across different categories and those at high risk during the serological survey.
It will be conducted in two phases. In the first phase, samples will be collected from communities in 25 clusters. Following this, high-risk groups like vendors, people in service sectors, police, health and sanitation workers and mediapersons will be tested.
The Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), a regional research laboratory of the ICMR, has formed five teams, comprising four members each, for the sero-survey.
While 900 samples will be collected from communities, 1600 samples would be drawn from high-risk groups. Locations, clusters and households have been selected randomly.
At least 30 to 40 households in every cluster have been identified and one sample from each household will be collected.
Second phase survey will be conducted 28 days after the first phase in the same clusters but samples will be collected from different sets of people.
The RMRC teams will be assisted by the field level officials of BMC to visit identified clusters for sample collection. The survey involves testing of blood serum for antibodies that will help determine if a person is Covid infected or has had any such infections in the past.
The survey will be carried out for three days in each round. Slums would be covered initially. BMC sources said at least eight clusters have been identified in each of the three zones – South East, South West and North – of the city for the survey.
Zonal Deputy Commissioner (North) Pramod Kumar Prusty said clusters have been identified in eight wards – 2, 4, 7, 9, 12, 14, 17, 19 – in his zone for collection of samples. Patia Big Bazar area, Hanspal and part of Sailashree Vihar are among the clusters where samples will be collected.
On the first day, samples will be collected from all the clusters except in Ward 2 and 12. “Our ward officers, field level staff and sachetaks will assist the RMRC teams in accessing the identified clusters and motivate people in those clusters to cooperate,” Prusty added.
