No community spread in state: ICMR

AMRITSAR: After analysing 1,600 random blood samples from four vulnerable districts of Punjab under the community transmission surveillance programme, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said that community transmission of Covid-19 has not started in Punjab as the virus was found only in less than 1%.

For ICMR’s nationwide survey, the state health department collected 400 blood samples each from Patiala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Gurdaspur districts where community transmission was highly suspected. Out of 1,600 samples tested at the Chennai-based National Institute for Research, only 5 tested positive for Covid-19.

“The ICMR, along with state health departments, had collected 400 samples each from nearly 69 districts across the country. In Punjab, four vulnerable districts were selected for the survey and 1,600 blood samples were collected for testing.

The sample collection in the state started on May 19. The blood samples were tested through rapid antibody test kits and ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) test kits, developed by the National Institute of Virology, Pune,” state health department spokesperson for Covid-19 Dr Rajesh Bhaskar said.

‘PREVALENCE, SPREAD OF COVID-19 LESS THAN 1% IN PUNJAB’

He added, “The ICMR concluded that the prevalence and spread of the Covid-19 infection is less than 1% in Punjab. Of the five positive patients, three were from Patiala and two from Jalandhar. None was found positive in the samples from Ludhiana and Gurdaspur.”

The ICMR will reveal more nationwide findings from the survey in its second report in a month’s time.

The final report will give an idea about the transmission based on gender, age and socioeconomic characteristics.

Though Amritsar has the highest number of Covid-19 cases in Punjab, it was not included in the survey as most of the cases at that time pertained to Nanded-returnees and didn’t fall in the category of community spread, health officials said.

OF THE 1,600 SAMPLES

TESTED FROM STATE, ONLY 5 WERE FOUND POSITIVE