4TH SERO SURVEY SHOWS 61.2% PULWAMA PEOPLE HAVE COVID ANTIBODIES
SRINAGAR: The fourth sero survey in Kashmir’s Pulwama has revealed that the percentage of population with Covid-19 antibodies has almost doubled to 61.2% since the last such survey was conducted.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) conducted the forth national sero survey in June this year in the aftermath of the second wave of Covid-19.
“The findings of the sero survey show 61.2% sero positivity among general population while the healthcare providers have 81.1% ,” said Muhammad Salim Khan, head of community medicine, Government Medical College, Srinagar and nodal person for the ICMR’s national sero survey for Pulwama.
In the previous three rounds in Pulwama district, the sero prevalence among the general population was found to be 2%, 27.3% and 31.5% respectively in May-June , August-September and December 2020 respectively.
The ICMR conducted the fourth round of the survey in June 2021 in the same 70 districts in which the first three rounds were held. This survey covered the general population above 6 years of age and health care workers working in district hospitals of these districts.
“This fourth round is significant due to widespread infection during the second wave and the vaccination drive this year,” he said. Sero prevalence was also very high in fully vaccinated people at 89.8% against 62.3% among the unvaccinated subjects. In Pulwama, the survey was conducted through the Department of Community Medicine, GMC, Srinagar with support from district administration and health experts of the district . “Some 430 blood samples were collected from designated 10 clusters besides 106 samples from healthcare providers,” said Khan.
Of the 320,340 Covid cases in the 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir,15,120 were recorded in Pulwama. The district also recorded 194 Covid deaths of the total 4,373 in the Union territory till July 22.
A similar study is underway across the ten districts of Kashmir where samples are being taken from children, adults and pregnant women among general population, healthcare providers and police personnel to ascertain sero prevalence.
NEW DELHI: Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday spoke to Danish Siddiqui’s father and offered his condolences on the photojournalist’s death in Afghanistan last week. Ghani said that Siddiqui’s death was a “great loss” to journalism.
Siddiqui, who won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for his documentation of the Rohingya refugee crisis, was killed on July 16 during clashes between Afghan forces and Taliban in the Spin Boldak region of the country. On Sunday, the 38-year-old photojournalist was buried in a graveyard in Jamia Millia Islamia, reserved for varsity staff and their family.
Siddiqui’s father Akhtar, an eminent educationist, taught at the University’s Faculty of Education till a few years ago. Siddiqui too studied mass communication in Jamia’s AJK Mass Communication Research Centre
from 2005 to 2007.
A statement from the Afghan presidential palace said, “...H.E President @ashrafghani called Professor Sediqi, father of @Reuters journalist late Danish Siddiqui & conveyed his condolences over the death of his son to his family, friends & colleagues.
The President termed his death a great loss for the journalism fraternity.”