हामी सबैकाे संसारन्यूज

30 July, Mumbai : The study found that more than half of the people in the slums of Mumbai, India may be infected with Covid-19

A new study shows that more than half of the residents in the crowded slums of Mumbai may be infected with the coronavirus, and the infection rate may be much higher than that of people who do not live in the slums.

The research report released on Tuesday questioned India’s testing level, which is second only to the United States and Brazil in the number of confirmed cases, ranking third in the world.

India reported on Wednesday that it had recorded more than 500,000 infections in just 12 days, and it had already exceeded 1.5 million reported coronavirus cases. It took India nearly six months to complete its millionth confirmed case.

Mumbai is the financial capital of India with a population of over 12 million. According to official statistics, more than 110,000 cases have been confirmed, including at least 6,180 deaths. The city is located in Maharashtra, India’s worst-hit state, with more than 377,000 confirmed cases and at least 14,000 deaths.

This study, in collaboration with local authorities and medical institutions, found that 57% of samples collected from slum residents tested positive for anti-coronavirus antibodies, while only 16% of people living outside slums tested positive for coronavirus antibodies. Positive. According to a press release on Tuesday, the test result was positive. .

The researchers used antibody tests-to test whether a person had the coronavirus in the past-and analyzed more than 6,900 random samples collected from participants in Mumbai in the first half of July.

Antibody testing is often called serological testing and is designed to find evidence of an immune response to infection. In theory, this should indicate that the person has had coronavirus in the past and has since recovered, but the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated in May that antibodies in some people may be detected first. One week after the onset of Covid-19.

On Friday, July 17, 2020, health workers screened for Covid-19 symptoms in a residential building in Dharavi, one of Asia’s largest slums in Mumbai, India.

Coronavirus in the slum

Researchers say that the high prevalence of coronavirus in slums may be due to population density and public facilities, while the lower prevalence outside slums may be due to better social distancing and social distancing practices. health.

The richest city in India should be the most prepared for the coronavirus. So why does Mumbai have the highest infection rate?

But the author pointed out that a large percentage of cases may be asymptomatic, and said that the mortality rate of infected people is very low-possibly as low as 0.05%.

The researchers said in the report: “This may be due to (Mumbai City Government) effective containment efforts and proactive measures to isolate symptomatic cases,”

Despite the lockdown measures, one of the reasons why a considerable number of residents are still infected may be that people outside the slums rely on people living in the slums for gardening, cleaning and maintenance services. Maharashtra President Utture Shankar said. The Medical Committee advises the government on the work of Covid-19.

Shankar said that although samples were taken from only three blocks, similar results may be seen in other parts of the city after testing in these areas.

Compared with other hard-hit countries, India’s Covid-19 death rate per capita is relatively low, with only 2.47 deaths per 100,000 people, compared with 45.24 in the United States and 68.95 in the United Kingdom. According to data from Johns Hopkins University, Uni. Experts point out that India’s relatively young population is a possible reason for the lower mortality rate, because young people are less likely to die from the coronavirus.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the potential impact of the coronavirus on India’s slums has been worrying. Doctors warned that the outbreak will be difficult to control and other places where residents are unable to extricate themselves, without running water and sharing small houses. Several family toilets.

On July 20, 2020, in a slum area of ​​Mumbai, India, a medical worker checks the temperature of residents during a physical examination.(CNN and Others)