Coimbatore: Herd immunity testing to begin; sampling equipment reaches Coimbatore. Sampling from five districts will be processed, here, Health department officials.
Coimbatore: In a bid to ascertain herd community of Coronavirus amid the public, the health officials here have begun the process of collecting random samples from people of different locations to conduct sero survey.
So far, the blood samples were sent to Chennai labs for processing. To reduce time delays and ramp up sero survey, testing equipment worth Rs. 2 crore was approved for Coimbatore. On Friday, thesampling equipment has reached Coimbatore from Mumbai via Kochi, said an official source from the health department.
The equipment has been placed at the office of the Directorate of Health in Race Course here. According to the health officials, blood samples collected from people of these districts -- Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Tirupur and Erode will be tested at the laboratory in Coimbatore. While the collection of samples have already commenced, the officials said that testing will begin from the coming week.
The results of sero survey will help to ascertain the immunity levels of the people and their exposure to Covid-19. With possibility for a second wave of Covid outbreak, the sero survey results will assist the health department to reassess the pandemic pattern in a particular district or area, compute better preventive plans and to identify the vulnerable population.
In Coimbatore, 42 places have been ear-marked for sero survey and blood samples have been taken from random people. Of the 42, 12 were within Coimbatore City, 10 in town panchayats, and 11 places in panchayats. A sample size of 1,260 at a rate of 30 in each area has been already collected, the officials told.
Earlier, the samples were sent to Chennai for testing, but currently they will betested at a newly set up laboratory at the office of the Deputy Director of Health at the Coimbatore, Race Course.
The equipment used for sero survey can process 50 blood samples every ten minutes. The machine is capable of processing 2,000 to 5000 tests, per day.
So far, the blood samples were sent to Chennai labs for processing. To reduce time delays and ramp up sero survey, testing equipment worth Rs. 2 crore was approved for Coimbatore. On Friday, thesampling equipment has reached Coimbatore from Mumbai via Kochi, said an official source from the health department.
The equipment has been placed at the office of the Directorate of Health in Race Course here. According to the health officials, blood samples collected from people of these districts -- Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Tirupur and Erode will be tested at the laboratory in Coimbatore. While the collection of samples have already commenced, the officials said that testing will begin from the coming week.
The results of sero survey will help to ascertain the immunity levels of the people and their exposure to Covid-19. With possibility for a second wave of Covid outbreak, the sero survey results will assist the health department to reassess the pandemic pattern in a particular district or area, compute better preventive plans and to identify the vulnerable population.
In Coimbatore, 42 places have been ear-marked for sero survey and blood samples have been taken from random people. Of the 42, 12 were within Coimbatore City, 10 in town panchayats, and 11 places in panchayats. A sample size of 1,260 at a rate of 30 in each area has been already collected, the officials told.
Earlier, the samples were sent to Chennai for testing, but currently they will betested at a newly set up laboratory at the office of the Deputy Director of Health at the Coimbatore, Race Course.
The equipment used for sero survey can process 50 blood samples every ten minutes. The machine is capable of processing 2,000 to 5000 tests, per day.