Thiruvananthapuram: According to a study report, about 10.76 percent of people in the state were unaware of being affected with COVID-19 and they recovered automatically. This was found out in a study held by Serosurveillance held by the health department.

Serosurveillance is a study to examine if the body has produced antibodies to resist the pathogen. About 20,939 people including the public, health workers and COVID forefronters were subjected to the study. It is assumed that about 10.76 percent of people who did not show symptoms might have been infected with Coronavirus.

The senior citizens were found with 8 percent seroprevalence (the level of pathogen in a population). This was 10.5 percent in health workers and 12 percent among COVID forefronters.

The health department authorities said that when only one out of 30 infected persons is reported at national level, Kerala identifies one out of four cases of infection.

ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) had conducted a seroprevalence survey in three districts of Kerala in May 2020. Based on this survey, the seroprevalence in Kerala was found to be 0.3 percent while it was 0.73 percent at national level.

When the survey was repeated in August, the seroprevalence was 0.8 percent at state level and 6.6 percent at national level. The ICMR held the survey in the same three districts of Kerala in December again. Then the seroprevalence was 11.6 percent in Kerala and 21 percent at national level.

  covid