Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): The Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Srinagar, in collaboration with the National Health Mission and various other medical institutions, conducted the first district-level survey in the Kashmir Valley, and found that four out of every 10 people in the region have COVID-19 antibodies.
A total of 6,230 samples were collected in 10 clusters of nine districts, while 2,418 blood samples were collected in Srinagar district.
According to the survey report, 8.38 per cent of people in Kashmir Valley were found to have anti-coronavirus antibodies, which is the highest in the country.
According to the first-of-its-kind survey, 9.37 per cent of patients in the Valley have no coronavirus symptoms, while 1.52 per cent of corona-infected patients have antibodies.
According to the data, Pulwama and Budgam districts had the highest prevalence of 1.43 per cent and Kulgam district had the lowest prevalence of COVID antibodies at 35.28 per cent.
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Similarly, 7.40 per cent in Srinagar, 3.42 per cent in Kupwara, 8.39 per cent in Bandipora, 30 per cent in Ganderbal, 2.35 per cent in Anantnag, 6.34 per cent in Baramulla and 9.31 per cent in Shopian have antibodies.
Meanwhile, a recent survey conducted in other districts of the valley, including the city of Srinagar, found that most antibodies were found in the elderly and women. This means that a large number of women and the elderly might have been infected with the coronavirus. Of these, 2.40 per cent and 3.37 per cent antibodies were found respectively among women and the elderly.
Dr Mohammad Saleem, Head, Community Medicine, GMC, Srinagar, said that the survey shows that coronavirus is spreading on a large scale among the general population in the Kashmir Valley and if people do not follow the guidelines outlined, the results could be dire in the future.
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