Covid-19 antibodies found in 71pc people of Dhaka, 55pc of Chattogram

Covid antibodies were found in 71 per cent of the people in Dhaka and 55 per cent of people in Chattogram, said a study by the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b).

Icddr,b carried out the research, 'Driving factors of COVID-19 in Slums and Non-slum Areas of Dhaka and Chattogram’, on 3,220 people in five months, a press release said on Tuesday.

The study was carried out on people of slums and non-slum areas of the two cities.

From October last year to February this year, icddr,b conducted the study on Covid symptomatic and asymptomatic people.

The study analysed SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity among the respondents to find out the presence of Covid-19 among the people and its reasons.

The study said antibodies were found on 70.6 per cent of the women and 66 per cent of men. Among the respondents, 35.5 per cent had mild symptoms.

Seroprevalence was more among the people with less education and who were suffering from obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure. Seroprevalence was less among the respondents who touched their noses and mouths less, had taken the BCG vaccine and were involved in mild physical activities.

Rubhana Raqib and Abdur Razzaque of icddr,b were lead researchers of the study funded by Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Bangladesh Health Watch was the advocacy partner of the study.