Sero survey begins in Panchkula, Ambala

Chandigarh, August 10

Haryana started a sero survey today to monitor the penetration and transmission trends of Covid. Heath Minister Anil Vij reviewed a meeting on the survey through video-conferencing.

He said 850 participants would be covered in each district and they aimed to complete the sero survey by the end of August.

He said stratified multi-stage random sampling would be done, with 60 per cent of those selected from rural areas and 40 per cent from urban areas.

He said the survey had already started in Panchkula and Ambala in association with the department of community medicine and school of public health at the PGI in Chandigarh and the Health Department.

Rajeev Arora, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Health, said the findings would be useful in designing and implementing appropriate containment measures.

“A sero survey is testing of a group to monitor trends as it helps understand the number of people affected by the disease. The study will help us determine the burden at the community level and monitor trends of transmission of the infection,” he said.

“It is an antibody test and will be conducted on 850 persons in every district. A nodal officer has been designated in every district to monitor and supervise the activity. The Health Department will be able to gauge the number of people affected through this survey,” he added.

The team conducting the survey would consist of three members — a medical officer, an auxiliary nurse midwife and a laboratory technician. — TNS