90% of Mumbai residents have Covid-19 antibodies: survey

(File photo) Flower market in Dadar, Mumbai, India.

Nearly 90% of people in India’s financial capital, Mumbai, are estimated to have Covid-19 antibodies, according to the civic body survey released yesterday. The fifth blood serum survey which tests for antibodies, known as a sero survey conducted between August and early September included 8,674 adults out of which almost 65% of the subjects were vaccinated. The survey also revealed that more females had Covid-19 antibodies compared to their male counterparts at 88.29% compared to 85.07%. Sero-prevalence was significantly higher in individuals who had received either first or both doses of Covid-19 vaccine as compared to their unvaccinated counterparts, the survey by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation  (BMC) noted. “As the sero-prevalance amongst those who are vaccinated is much higher than the unvaccinated counterparts, it is essential to strengthen the ongoing Covid-19 vaccination programme,” the report mentioned. India’s crowded financial hub Mumbai won plaudits this year for tackling the second wave of the pandemic better than any other metropolis in the country. The report finding comes at a time when concerns around emergence of a third wave remains. India reported 34,403 new Covid-19 cases yesterday across the country. Meanwhile, in a record-breaking feat, India administered over 20mn vaccine doses against the coronavirus disease yesterday. The accomplishment came on a day the government initiated moves to boost the inoculation drive on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday. As many as 2,11,28,784 doses of the vaccine were administered during the day, according to data available on the government-run Co-WIN portal. This pushed the total number of vaccines administered across the country against the virus to 786.8mn. It also helped the country cross the 10mn mark in the daily vaccination figures for the fourth time in a month. Sharing a tweet, the health ministry said India marched ahead with another achievement in its fight against Covid-19 with 20mn doses administered yesterday and counting.