Pakistan Successfully Completes Second Round Of COVID-19 Sero-prevalence Study

Muhammad Irfan Published November 24, 2020 | 08:43 PM

The government of Pakistan has successfully completed the second round of COVID-19 sero-prevalence study and is now among the few countries globally that have completed this important exercise

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Nov, 2020 ) :The government of Pakistan has successfully completed the second round of COVID-19 sero-prevalence study and is now among the few countries globally that have completed this important exercise.

According to Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, the government of Pakistan is closely monitoring the evolving COVID-19 situation in the country.

As follow up to the first round, second round of sero-prevalence study was conducted in 10 selected districts of Pakistan in end of October. Health Services academy in collaboration with multiple partners with support from World Health Organization implemented this study.

The study was aimed at monitoring the exposure to COVID-19 by detecting antibodies in samples of blood taken from randomly selected individuals.

In the second round about seven percent of individuals were detected to be exposed to COVID-19 around the time survey was conducted which was before the recent resurgence of COVID-19 cases.

The spread of COVID-19 is still higher in urban areas as compared to rural districts however, the difference is decreasing over time if compared to first round. It is recommended that appropriate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and preventive measures are adopted in cities as well as smaller cities and villages by the general public.

The study also revealed that it is likely that many individuals are to remain asymptomatic, signifying the importance of using masks by all persons, on maintaining diagnostic vigilance and testing to timely diagnose susceptible individuals.

Similar findings have been revealed by studies conducted elsewhere globally. The results of the study will have policy implications for preventative strategies, areas of focus and identification of high-risk groups for vaccination said the statement.