63% have antibodies against Covid in Punjab

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 25

In Punjab, as many as 63.4 per cent people have developed antibodies against Covid-19 after two waves swept the state.

The fact came to the fore in the fourth sero survey conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

During the survey, antibody test (anti SI-RBD antibodies) was carried out on 1,585 persons in four districts — Gurdaspur, Ludhiana, Patiala and Jalandhar — last month.

Ludhiana tops the chart as 71 per cent people were found positive for antibody test. It was followed by Jalandhar with 65.6 per cent and Gurdaspur 63.4 per cent. Patiala was at the bottom with just 52.6 per cent people having antibodies.

The survey also corroborates with the ground situation as Ludhiana contributes the highest cases and deaths to the state’s total cases. In the district, 87,262 cases and 2,093 deaths have been reported. The first case of Covid in the state was reported in March last year. Since then, the state has reported 5.98 lakh cases and over 16,000 deaths.

A similar survey was carried out on 400 healthcare workers in the same districts. As far as the healthcare workers are concerned, Gurdaspur had the highest antibodies with 87 per cent. It was followed by Ludhiana with 85 per cent and Patiala 82 per cent. Among healthcare workers of Jalandhar, it was found that 79 per cent of them had developed antibodies against Covid-19.