COVID-19: At a time when people are of the view that India has managed to control the highly infectious disease COVID-19, a report by scientists of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) has claimed that the actual number of cases reported in the country could be 17 times more. The study said that this also includes asymptomatic and unreported cases.
88 Scientists From 34 Research Institutes were Part of the Study
The study involved around 88 scientists from several institutes spread across the country. They were from at least 34 different research institutes in India. BHU geneticist Prof Gyaneshwer Chaubey of the Department of Zoology, Institute of Science was heading the study.
The Study got Published in Prestigious Science Journal
The study done by scientists, which included those from BHU also, has been published in the prestigious science journal – International Journal of Infectious Disease (IJID).’
The team of scientists conducted a serosurvey (antibody testing), as part of the study, among 2,301 individuals. These people were from six different states and mainly from the urban areas of 14 districts. The serosurvey was conducted from September to December 2020.
According to the head of the study, the most striking aspect of the study conducted by them was that most of the people were asymptomatic of COVID-19. Also, they found the maximum number of asymptomatic people were in the age group of 26-35 years.
The researchers were of the view that an antibody test is needed to accurately assess the actual infection in people after any Covid wave.
During the study, the researchers adopted this process to conduct the research among a large number of people. Most of these people were street vendor.
The samples of only those people were taken during the research who self-reported that they never had any symptoms of Covid or tested positive for coronavirus infection. They were living in urban areas of 14 districts. Street vendors were included as they were at the most risk of coronavirus infection.
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