Health care workers are better protected from Covid-19: Experts
Doctors and paramedics were among the first to be inoculated when the Covid-19 vaccination drive was launched in India on January 16
PATNA: Health care workers (HCWs) are better protected against Covid-19 as they have higher antibodies to fight against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease, as compared to the general population in the state, health experts said, citing findings of the fourth serological survey.
This, said experts, was due to two reasons.
First, HCWs were among the first to be inoculated when the Covid-19 vaccination drive was launched across India on January 16. Secondly, increased exposure to Covid-19 patients led to many HCWs being infected by the virus, leading to the formation of natural antibodies, along with those built up through inactivated virus by way of vaccination, said Dr Prabhat Kumar Singh, director of All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Patna.
Health care workers in Bihar’s Buxar district reported the highest (94.1%) seropositivity or seroprevalence, which is the prevalence of antibodies against Covid-19, as compared to 83.8% in the general population.
This was revealed during the fourth serological survey in six sample districts of the state, conducted between June 20 and 25, said officials. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) director-general Prof Balram Bhargava shared the data with
Bihar’s additional chief secretary, health, Pratyaya Amrit on July 23.
Similarly, HCWs had 93% seropositivity against 72.7% in Begusarai’s general population. In Arwal, they had 91.1% seropositivity as against 73.7% in the general masses. In Madhubani, it was 91% in HCWs as against 77.1% in the general population. HCWs in Muzaffarpur had 90% and Purnia 89.5% as compared to the general population reporting 65.3% and 65% seropositivity, respectively.
The cumulative seropositivity of HCWs was 91.45% as against 72.93% among the general population in the state’s six sample districts during the recent survey.
The difference in the seropositivity between HCWs and the general population was much higher this time as compared to the third serological survey, said officials.
“The difference in the two categories was hardly 2-4% during the third serological survey last December. HCWs had marginally higher seropositivity as compared to Bihar’s cumulative seropositivity of 22.41% among the general population in the state’s six sample districts,” said an official of the state health department’s Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), requesting anonymity.
“The difference in seropositivity in the two categories is higher this time because HCWs were vaccinated first. Besides, they had increased exposure to Covid-19 patients during the second wave of the pandemic, as a result of which many of our healthcare workers were infected, leading to the formation of natural antibodies in them,” said Dr Singh.
Around 400 healthcare workers have already been infected by the virus at AIIMS-Patna, which has treated around 6,400 Covid-19 patients and suspects since March 20 last year, when the state’s first Covid-19 patient was admitted at AIIMS. It has a recovery rate of nearly 80%.
“Seropositivity of 91.45% is very good for healthcare workers. Their vaccination coverage has also been good. It means most healthcare workers are protected either through vaccination or after infection. Given the sample size and area covered, seropositivity of 73% among the general population indicates that Bihar is moving closer towards developing herd immunity, which is a positive sign. However, we should not lower our guard and follow the Covid-appropriate behaviour,” said Dr Singh.
As many as 2,464 blood samples from the general population and 637 of HCWs were taken during the survey in the state. Of the minimum 500 samples from each district, 400 were supposed to be of the general population and 100 of HCWs..