'One in 15 estimated to have been exposed to SARS-CoV2 by August'

New Delhi: One in 15 individuals aged 10 years and above were estimated to be exposed to SARS-CoV2 by August 2020, showing that a considerable population is still susceptible to COVID-19, according to the ICMR's second sero-survey findings released on Tuesday.

Daily COVID-19 cases in India dropped below 75,000 and less than 1,000 deaths were reported in a day after nearly a month, while total recoveries crossed the 51 lakh-mark, according to the Union Health ministry's data on Tuesday.

The total cases mounted to 61,45, 291 with 70,589 new infections, while the death toll reached 96,318 after 776 people succumbed to the disease in a span of 24 hours, the data showed. The total recoveries surged to 51,01,397 pushing the recovery rate to 83.01 per cent. The COVID-19 case fatality rate was recorded at 1.57 per cent.

Presenting the nationwide sero-survey at a press briefing, ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava said 6.6 per cent of the 29,082 people (aged 10 and above) surveyed from August 17 to September 22 showed evidence of past exposure to COVID-19 and 7.1 per cent of the adult population (aged 18 and above) also showed evidence of past exposure to it.

He said lockdown, containment and behavioural change at the population level have effectively checked the potential spread of SARS-CoV2, however, the survey findings show that a considerable population is still vulnerable and susceptible to Coronavirus.

"Urban slums (15.6 per cent) and non-slum (8.2 per cent) areas had higher SARS-COV2 infection prevalence than that in rural areas (4.4 per cent)," he said quoting the second sero-survey.

"One in 15 individuals aged 10 years and above were estimated to be exposed to SARS- CoV2 by August 2020," Bhargava said.