A sero-surveillance study done in Mumbai has revealed that 57% of slum population and 16 per cent of non-slum residents in three civic wards had developed antibodies, indicating many people would already be affected by COVID-19 than the official tally suggests.
The sero-surveillance started on June 3 and 6,936 samples out of an estimated 8,870 were collected from slum and non-slum population of three civic wards — R-North, M-West and F-North — in the first half of July.
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It showed high proportion of asymptomatic COVID-19 infection in the city.
The study revealed that 57% of slum population and 16 per cent of non-slum residents in these civic wards had developed antibodies, the BMC said on Tuesday.
“These results will be valuable to learn more about herd immunity,” stated a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) release.
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The civic body is going to conduct another survey that will provide information about infection spread and throw light on herd immunity as well, it said.
The Ser