‘Delhi likely heading towards herd immunity for Covid-19’

New Delhi, Jan. 25: The outcome of the fifth round of sero-prevalence survey in the national capital has indicated that Delhi population could be heading towards attaining herd immunity against coronavirus infection, sources said on Monday. The survey has found that in one district, 50-60 per cent of the sampled population has developed antibodies to Covid-19, they said.

For the survey, which ended a few days ago, samples of over 25,000 people from various districts across the city were collected, the officials said.

Delhi’s population is over two crore, spread across 11 districts.

“In one district, the seroprevalence rate is between 50-60 per cent, indicating a large number of people have developed antibodies, so we can say the city is moving towards attaining herd immunity,” a source said without disclosing the name of the district.

Experts say herd immunity is said to have been developed in a population segment if 50-60 per cent of those are found to have the presence of antibodies in a sero-prevalence survey.

Herd immunity implies that in any set of people in a community, after becoming affected by the virus, a lot many of them become immune to it, on account of antibodies developed in response to it. And, hence, such people become a protective layer between the infected person and unaffected people, thereby breaking the chain of viral transmission.

This is the fifth such exercise that was conducted, but the Delhi government has not given any official version on it.