Study finds 7% of Pakistanis have been exposed to coronavirus

ISLAMABAD: A new national seroprevalence study suggests 7% of the Pakistani population has had exposure to the novel coronavirus.

This is the second seroprevalence study conducted by the country, The News reported on Wednesday. Conducted by the Health Services Academy in collaboration with multiple partners and with the support of the World Health Organisation (WHO), the study was targeted at monitoring the exposure to coronavirus by detecting antibodies in samples of blood taken from randomly selected individuals.

The second round of seroprevalence study was conducted in 10 selected districts of Pakistan at the end of October. About 7% of individuals were detected to be exposed to COVID-19 around the time survey was conducted, which was before the recent resurgence of COVID-19 cases, the second round of study revealed.

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Moreover, the spread of COVID-19 is still at large in urban areas as compared to rural districts; however, the difference is decreasing over time if compared to the first round conducted for the study.

Health professionals have recommended that appropriate SOPs and preventive measures are adopted in cities as well as smaller cities and villages by the general public.

The study also underscored that it is likely a possibility that many individuals are to remain asymptomatic, signifying the importance of using masks by all persons, on maintaining diagnostic vigilance and testing to ensure timely diagnosis of susceptible individuals.

Studies conducted elsewhere in the world have reported similar results which will have policy implications for preventative strategies, areas of focus, and identification of high-risk groups for vaccination, read a statement of the Ministry of Health.