Srinagar hospital to conduct seroprevalence study of health workers treating coronavirus patients
SRINAGAR :Following the surge in Covid-19 cases in J&K, especially Kashmir, the Government Medical College (GMC) here will be conducting seroprevalence study of healthcare providers for SARS CoV-2 infection and test their IgG levels.
In the first phase, around 3,000 health workers will be tested for IgG levels.
Presently, J&K has over 4,878 Covid-19 cases and 58 deaths so far, most of these being from the ten districts of Kashmir.
Officials said from Monday onwards, they will be conducting seroprevalence study among healthcare providers of Srinagar district regarding SARS CoV-2 (Covid-19) infection while testing immunoglobulin-G (IgG) levels in their blood.
Dr Salim Khan, head of GMC social and community medicine department, said this is a vital survey which will give us an idea about the disease and its spread in Srinagar and other districts of Kashmir. “The survey could take three weeks to complete. First health workers will be covered and then it could be expanded to test the general population other districts as well.”
Khan said this is happening for the first time in the country and that samples will be taken from two big health institutions of Srinagar from Monday.
“This is a collaborative research project by various departments and around 3,000 healthcare providers attending patients in Srinagar hospitals and health centres would be tested for IgG levels, which would show whether they have been infected in the recent past with SARS CoV-2 and the degree of protection they have achieved.”
Khan said the study has been approved by institutional ethics committee of GMC Srinagar and the district magistrate.
Officials associated with the survey termed the exercise part of a bigger study which includes seroprevalence of SARS CoV-2 infection among general population of Srinagar district.
“With the collection of samples of recovered persons, who were discharged from Chest Disease Hospital, Srinagar, a few weeks back, the survey is already underway,” said an official from the health department.