45% people in Kerala have Covid antibodies, as per sero survey

Antibodies attacking SARS-CoV-2 virus, the conceptual 3D illustration for COVID-19 treatment, diagnosis and prevention. Photo: Av Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock

Thiruvananthapuram: Around 45 per cent people in Kerala have developed antibodies against COVID-19, as per a nationwide sero survey conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The national average is at 67.6 per cent.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in the Assembly on Thursday that the figures show that Kerala's response to Covid had been remarkable.

In vaccination too, Kerala is ahead of the national average. About 24.7 per cent of the country’s population have received one dose of the vaccine, while over 32 per cent in Kerala have taken one dose.

About 6.5 per cent of the country’s population have received both doses of vaccine, while the figure stands at 14 per cent in Kerala. The Chief Minister said that if 70 lakh more people are vaccinated within two or three months, herd immunity can be achieved.

The fourth national blood serum survey which tests for antibodies, known as a sero survey, included 8,691 children aged 6-17 years for the first time. Half of them were seropositive.

The survey showed 67.6% of adults were seropositive in India, while more than 62% of adults were unvaccinated. As of July, just over 8% of eligible adult Indians had received two vaccine doses.

About 400 million of India's 1.4 billion people did not have antibodies, the survey showed.

The study also surveyed 7,252 healthcare workers and found 85% had antibodies, with one in 10 unvaccinated.

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