Corona equally present among children & adults in Assam: ICMR

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The presence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19 in children, is the same as that of adults. The recent serosurvey conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has found this.

The survey for the first time included children between six and 14 years of age. Their seroprevalence is in the range of 39.4% to 52.2% in the state, as in adults. Seroprevalence is the level of a pathogen (microcosm that causes infections, including Covid-19) in a population, as measured in blood serum.

The ICMR is conducting serosurveys to understand how widespread the prevalence of Covid-19 in the Indian population is. Healthcare workers have higher seropositivity, ranging from 66.6% to 80%.

Dr Kangjam Rekha Devi, a senior scientist at the ICMR-RMRC, Dibrugarh, led the recent serosurvey conducted in Kamrup (Metropolitan), Udalguri, and Karbi Anglong districts in Assam.

Even though the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 among children is the same as that of adults, children develop more antibodies to fight the virus. The survey has shown an increase in the exposure of SARS-CoV2 in the community in the state.

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