New Delhi | Jagran Lifestyle Desk: The national capital, Delhi, is at the sixth spot in the list of worst-hit state in India due to the coronavirus and has recorded over 1.62 lakh cases so far, while over 4,300 people have succumbed to the virus in the city-state.
In wake of the unabated rise in the coronavirus cases, authorities in Delhi have conducted two serosurveys so far, with the second conducted in the starting period of this month.
According to the serological survey conducted between August 1 and August 7, it was found that minors aged between 5 and 17 are most exposed to the novel coronavirus in Delhi. The survey results showed that 29.1 per cent of the population in the national capital has now developed antibodies against SARS CoV-2.
As many as 15,000 people from four age groups participated in the survey -- around 25 per cent of them below 18, 50 per cent between 18 and 50, and the rest aged above 50.
Meanwhile, the results also showed some alarming figures and noted that a prevalence rate of 34.7 per cent was found among the participants aged between 5 and 17, while among those in the 18-50 age group, 28.5 per cent people have developed antibodies against the virus. As many as 31.2 per cent of the people aged above 50 have recovered from Covid-19.
According to the experts, children could be contracting the infection from the adults in their family and domestic help.
As per the data by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), people aged between 21 and 50 accounts for over 61 per cent of total caseload in the country till August 21.
Dr Mahesh Verma, the head of a Delhi government committee tasked with strengthening the preparedness of hospitals to battle coronavirus, as quoted by news agency PTI, said, "It is difficult to keep children and youngsters home-bound. Even if they are not going to school, they might be going out to play... or they might have contracted it through an indirect route. But it's just a prediction and needs to be studied."
"It's still very complex how people are getting infected. I know a couple of families that are not stepping out but their members have still contracted Covid-19," he added.
Dr Gauri Aggarwal, the founder of Seeds of Innocence and Genestrings Lab, New Friends Colony, said, "Children might have contracted the virus from someone in their house who was regularly stepping out. The schools are closed and there are very few people who are organizing gatherings where children are also present."
“It is possible that they got infected while going to parks or through domestic help. There are lots of cases where domestic help have spread the infection”, she added.
Posted By: Talib Khan