Sero Survey

Sero Survey

Part of: GS Prelims and GS – III- Governance

Key Findings of Fourth National Sero Survey 

• Two-thirds of India’s population have antibodies against the coronavirus.
• 67.6% of adults were seropositive, while more than 62% of adults were unvaccinated. 
• About 400 million of India’s 1.4 billion people did not have antibodies.

What is Sero Survey?

• Sero studies popularly known as sero survey examines how many people in a population have been infected with COVID-19
• Sero survey broadly indicates following things; 
  • The percentage of the population exposed to the virus. 
  • Which groups are more exposed or have had higher rates of infection
  • How infection rates are progressing in a particular area.
  • How far are we from herd immunity.

How is Sero Survey Done?

• The blood serum (fluid part of plasma) of a group of individuals is examined for antibodies (not the virus itself) that are developed in response to virus exposure. 
• Seropositive=> Presence of antibodies => exposed to Coronavirus
• Everybody cannot be tested, only a few people chosen at random are tested. The results are an estimate of the proportion of people who have been infected in the past.