Prevalence of COVID-19 In Urban Areas in India

The second wave of COVID-19 pandemic was catastrophic in India. Outbreaks have spread faster than the scaling up of testing, tracing, isolation and all other public health efforts. Serosurveys are an important tool in helping us figure out how far the infection has spread within a population and how many people developed cellular immunity. Cellular immunity can be tested by taking the blood sample for B cells and T Cells. These two types of cells react with antigens. T cells play a central role in delayed hypersensitivity or cellular immunity. This study conducted in the slums and non-slums of Bangalore in January 2021, estimated both seroprevalence and cellular immunity Researchers are trying to determine how much seroprevalence surveys underestimate natural immunity because antibody concentrations decline after an infection is cleared. Morsel field team collected Household level survey data, blood sample and swab sample. Field team successfully collected blood samples of 2410 HHs and swab sample from 1580 HHs and collected primary data from 3057 Households. The refusal rate was very high (approximately 67 percent HHs refused to participate) and approximately it was same in slum and non-slum areas.