BMC set to conduct sero survey in city from Sept 15 to Oct 6

Across the 24 wards, the BMC aims to collect 838 samples from the primary health set-up, followed by solid waste management workers (768 samples), BEST workers (768) and medical health officers (720).

“Although the Covid-19 pandemic has flattened, we need to gauge the level of antibodies present among healthcare and frontline workers. It will also help us to understand the significance of the third dose of Covid-19 vaccine,” said a health officer from BMC.

Meanwhile, the BMC on Thursday released its 15th genome sequencing report, which showed that Omicron has been the dominating variant. Of the 288 swab samples taken between June 12 and September 1 for genome sequencing, 106 samples (37 per cent) had BA.2.75 variant, 96 (33 per cent) were of BA.2.75.1 variant and 60 (21 per cent) were found with BA. 2.75.2 variant.

Apart from this, six samples each were found with BA.5.2 and BJ.1 variants, four samples of BA 2.76 variant, three samples of BA 2 variant, two of BA.1 variant and one each of BA.2.10.4, BA.2.74, BA.5.1, BE.1 and BE.3 variants.

The report further said that while two patients out of 288 had not taken a single dose of the vaccine, 84 (29 per cent) had taken just one jab and 202 (70 per cent) had taken both doses.