India had estimated 74 million COVID-19 cases by August: Report

Nearly seven per cent of Indias population aged ten and above was exposed to SARSCoV2 amounting to an estimated 743 million infections by August with the seroprevalence being highest in urban slum areas followed by urban nonslum and rural areas the findings of ICMRs second national serosurvey statedAccording to the findings which have appeared in the Lancet Global Health preprint the overall seroprevalence of below 10 per cent in India indicates that a large proportion of the population remains susceptible to novel coronavirus infectionThe transmission of infection is expected to continue in most Indian states till the herd immunity threshold is achieved either by natural infection or vaccination While this threshold is unknown most estimates place it above 50 per cent the report saidIt stated that one in nine individuals who did not report any COVID19related symptoms in the past had the presence of SARSCoV2 IgG antibodies indicating asymptomatic seroconversion among the general population in IndiaSeroconversion was also documented among individuals without a history of known contact with a COVID19 case and among those without any prior SARSCoV2 testingOur data supports the expansion of testing strategies to include individuals without having known exposure or symptoms We found only 3 per cent of seropositive individuals reported COVID19 symptoms highlighting the limitations of symptom directed testing and the importance of universal prevention methods the report statedNearly one in 15 individuals aged ten years and above had SARSCoV2 infection by August 2020 The adult seroprevalence increased ten times between May and August 2020 Lower infection to case ratio in August compared to May reflects a substantial increase in testing across the country the findings statedAlso 26ndash32 infections were reported per case diagnosed in August 2020 as against 82131 in May 2020 when the first round of serosurvey was conducted underlining the consequence of the growth of testing outpacing the growth of infectionsThe seroprevalence was higher in slum areas of Mumbai 57middot8 per cent compared to nonslum areas 17middot4 per centWhile population density coupled with high mobility and challenges in safe distancing and hand hygiene are the main drivers of spread of infection in urban areas especially urban slums the findings of the serosurvey also indicate substantial transmission among the rural population now in contrast to the first round the report statedTransmission will increase further in these rural areas in the coming months underscoring the need for implementing nonpharmaceutical interventions as well as strengthening healthcare facilities for the effective management of cases it saidOf the 29082 individuals tested for the presence of IgG antibodies against SARSCoV2 3135 tested positive with an unweighted seroprevalence of 10middot8 per centOf the 29082 people aged 10 and above surveyed from August 17 to September 22 66 per cent showed evidence of past exposure to COVID19 while the seroprevalence among adults was 7middot1 per centKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest newsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever