The State Health Department will conduct a Covid-19 density study to identify the possibilities of the Covid-19 ii-phase spread and to formulate appropriate preventive strategies, Health Minister KK Shailaja said.
The main objective of this study is to understand how much people have the presence of SARS COV2, especially in people who are at high risk. The minister said the study would help in understanding the possibility of further spread of the disease, making preparations and making policy decisions.
The study is proposed to be conducted in 12,100 people over 18 years of age across the State. At least 350 samples will be tested in a district. Besides, 240 samples will be examined from volunteers, police and health workers working related to covid from each district. Samples are collected from rural and urban areas and a consent form is obtained before collection of samples. Also, 5000 blood samples will be collected from labs and blood banks for study.
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, the covid prevalence rate in adults in India was 0.73 percent in May. But as of August to September, covid has already spread to 7.1 percent of the population. As of the first week of November 2020, the test positivity rate in Kerala was 20 percent among health workers with symptoms, 10.5 percent among the risk of spreading disease, 3.2 percent of people who had no covid symptoms for surgery and 8.3 percent of those who had undergone direct examination. It was against this background that I decided to conduct the Covid-19 concentration study.
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