Vizianagaram has 30.5% prevalence

Sero-survey-II conducted in nine districts shows average 19.7% spread of Coronavirus

The phase-II of sero-surveillance carried out in nine districts indicated a 19.7 per cent Covid-19 prevalence in the state.

The state health authorities carried out the survey in Srikakulam, Vizianagram, Visakhapatnam, West Godavari, Guntur, Prakasam, YSR Kadapa, Chittoor and Kurnool from August 26 to 31.

For each district, 5,000 persons including men and women, from urban and rural areas and from containment and non-containment zones were randomly chosen. Their blood samples were collected and tested for presence of specific antibodies, which indicated whether they were infected with Covid-19 but show no symptoms of the infection, which was cured without using any treatment.

Accordingly, prevalence of

Covid-19 in percentage terms was Srikakulam 21.5 Vizianagaram 30.5, Visakhapatnam 20.7, West Godavari

12.3, Guntur 18.3, Prakasam

17.6, Kadapa 19.3, Chittoor

20.8 and Kurnool 28.1. State health and family welfare commissioner K. Bhaskar briefed media persons about the results of sero surveillance here on Thursday.

He said that the surveil

lance would be conducted for all communicable diseases to find out their prevalence among the people to help the government come up with plans to handle them. A similar survey was carried out on Covid-19 to find out its prevalence among the population.

He said that as the prevalence rate could go up to some level, it would come

down gradually as was the case with Krishna district during the first phase of sero survey as its prevalence peaked and started coming down subsequently.

Referring to the highest percentage of prevalence in Vizianagaram district at 30.6 per cent, he said that they were expecting the rate to come down gradually in the district.