Serological surveys

Subject: Science and tech

Context:

One in every five individuals has shown the presence of antibodies that indicate exposure to the novel coronavirus that causes Covid-19 in a serological survey conducted in Delhi

Concept:

• A serological survey seeks to assess the prevalence of disease in a population by detecting the presence of specific antibodies against the virus.
• A serological test is performed to diagnose infections and autoimmune illnesses.
• It can also be conducted to check if a person has developed immunity to certain diseases.
• It includes IgG Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) test which estimates the proportion of the population exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
• The IgG test is not useful for detecting acute infections, but it indicates episodes of infections that may have occurred in the past.