Nearly one third of Chennai population exposed to COVID-19: Serosurvey

Tamil Nadu reported just over 3,000 fresh coronavirus cases for the second straight day, taking the tally to 6.97 lakh on Wednesday while results of a serosurvey showed nearly one third of the population in the city has been exposed to the pathogen. 

The results of the second serosurvey conducted here recently to detect the transmission of coronavirus has shown an overall positivity rate of 32.3 per cent, authorities said. 

This was more than the number of those found affected by the virus during the first survey conducted in July. "Results of Chennai Serosurvey-II: Serosurvey samples tested- 6,389 out of which 2,062 are positive for IgG antibodies presence with overall positivity of 32.3 per cent," Greater Chennai Corporation said in a brief statement. 

The first phase of the survey, with a sample size of around 12,000, had revealed (on September 1) that a fifth of the population (21.5 per cent) in the metropolis had an exposure to the pathogen. On Wednesday, the state logged 3,086 new cases taking the tally to 6,97,116 while the death toll touched 10,780 with 39 more fatalities. 

Chennai added 845 cases, taking its infection count to 1,92,527. Recoveries continued to eclipse fresh infections and 4,301 patients were discharged from various hospitals as the aggregate of those cured so far climbed to 6,50,856, a health department bulletin said. 

Coimbatore recorded 314 fresh cases and Salem 198 while the remainder was scattered across the state. Tenkasi (7), Ariyalur (8) and Perambalur (9) were among districts that recorded less number of new cases. The active cases continued to fall and stood at 35,480 as on date. Those dead include a man and woman aged 40 and 84 respectively and except one all had co-morbidities.

Chennai's toll rose to 3,556 while in neighbouring Chengelpet it stood at 643. Chengelpet and another neighbouring district Tiruvallur accounted for 41,845 and 36,510 cases respectively. A total of 81,782 samples were tested, taking the cumulative specimens examined to 91,93,849, the bulletin said.