A pilot Zero survey of the ELISA antibody test was completed last week to assess the prevalence of the SARS Cove 2 virus. The ICMR pilot survey was conducted to get a basic idea of where the country is currently at in terms of outbreaks.
The antibody test should be performed by health workers, covid top workers, individuals in container zones and security personnel who are at high risk of infection.
“This type of timely sero surveys will help to track the prevailing Covid spread, and tell the states to do the tests themselves,” said a senior ICMR official.
The ELISA test is an enzyme-based laboratory test. In addition, the test can be used to quantify antibodies in the blood and to detect early infection.
Elisa was trying to determine if the IgG antibody was present. IgG is an antibody that produces the body of an infected person. Testing for more can help identify the spread of the disease.
Many viral infections are found in this way. Antibody tests are useful for diagnosing the disease after 5-7 days of infection. The presence of IgG antibody can only be seen in the body after two weeks in a person with Covid infection. It can last for months. This test can only be done on someone who is sick. Currently, a person who is critically infected with Covid does not take the test and find no results.
These surveys will help to obtain an approximate estimate of the population that is exposed to SARS-Cove-2 virus infection, including asymptomatic individuals.
Although the Rapid Antibody Test was proposed in early April, it had to be stopped due to the poor quality of the kits from China.
