HSRC conducting antibody testing survey on coronavirus

While South Africa has to grapple with the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) is well underway with work to determine how Covid-19 continues to spread through communities with a nationwide antibody testing survey.

The antibody survey will provide an opportunity for researchers to better understand and generate a national estimate of what proportion of South Africans have been infected with the virus but also get to those who may have been infected without knowing or have been asymptomatic.

The outreach would also attempt to reach those who have not been able to access testing facilities.

The council has already commenced with the first wave of the nationwide survey together with Epicentre, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, the National Health Laboratory Service and the South African Medical Research Council.

Trained field teams are visiting households across all nine provinces to reach their target of roughly 19 000 people over the age of 12.

During the survey interviews, which would take no longer than 20 minutes, the teams will attempt to assess the history of infection, exposure to contacts, co-morbidities and whether or not practices of social distancing and hand washing were being observed.

A qualified nurse accompanying the various teams would also be requesting a blood sample from respondents in order for it to be tested for Covid-19 antibodies, alongside with the information collected through questionnaires.

Through this, all information would be linked to understanding how the virus is spreading in communities.

Read the full story on: IOL.