Chandigarh, Oct 18 (PTI) Antibodies against the COVID-19 infection were found in 76.3 per cent of people in the third round of sero-survey in Haryana, Health Minister Anil Vij said on Monday.
He also released a report of the third survey, which was conducted in September, and that found the sero-positivity rate to be 78.1 per cent in urban areas and 75.1 per cent in rural areas.
In the first round of the sero-survey, the positivity rate was found to be eight per cent and in the second round, it was 14.8 per cent.
Vij said a sero-positivity rate of 75.3 per cent was found among men, 77.1 per cent among women, 69.8 per cent among children in the age group of six to nine years and 73.2 per cent among children in the age group 10 to 17 years.
The sero-positivity rate was 81.6 per cent among vaccinated people and 75.5 per cent among unvaccinated people, he said.
He said this survey was done to ascertain whether antibodies have developed due to COVID-19 vaccination or naturally.
Vij said antibodies developed after vaccination were identified by conducting a spike protein antibody test, according to a government statement.
The sample size of the third sero-survey was 36,520.
This survey was conducted by the health department in collaboration with the department of community medicine, PGIMS, Rohtak in all the districts of Haryana.
In this round of sero-survey, the sample size was much larger as compared to the previous sero surveys conducted in the state, with a sample size of 18,700 in the first round and 15,840 in the second round.
Vij said the sero prevalence study shows that the overall sero-positivity of COVID-19 antibodies in Haryana has been found to be 76.3 per cent.
He said Kurukshetra district had the highest 85 per cent sero-positivity and the lowest was 64.2 per cent in Faridabad.
However, 14 per cent samples were found to be inconclusive in Faridabad and thus, sero-survey will be conducted again in Faridabad.
So far, 2.47 crore beneficiaries have been vaccinated in the state, he said.
Vij said a sero-positivity of 76 per cent in Haryana is comforting as majority of people are protected from the infection.
He said so far about 2.47 crore beneficiaries have been vaccinated in the state, in which about 1.74 crore beneficiaries have been administered the first dose and more than 73 lakh beneficiaries have been administered the second dose.
