1,044 new COVID-19 cases in Mumbai; 32 more patients die

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Mumbai, May 27 () With 1,044 new COVID-19 cases, the tally in Mumbai rose to 33,835 on Wednesday, while the fatality count increased to 1,044 after 32 more patients succumbed to the viral infection, the city civic body said.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), in a release, said the metropolis will soon be part of a national survey which aims to determine socio-demographic risk factors for the COVID-19 infection and help in understanding its geographical spread.

The civic body said 240 more patients were discharged from hospitals, taking the number of those who have recovered from the disease to 9,054.

According to the release, out of the 32 COVID-19 patients who died, 15 had comorbidities (pre-existing health conditions).

It also said 893 new suspected coronavirus patients were admitted at various hospitals on Wednesday.

The BMC said national Sero-Surveillance (monitoring of presence or absence of specific substances in the blood serum of a population) to monitor the trend of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection transmission is going to start in Mumbai.

"The ICMR is conducting the Sero-Surveillance in 60 districts of India, including 10 hotspot cities of which Mumbai is a part," it said.

The BMC further said the objective of the survey is to estimate and monitor the trend of Sero-prevalence for COVID-19 infection in high burden cities.

"It will determine socio-demographic risk factors for the COVID-19 infection and help in understanding the geographical spread of the infection in the general population and hotspot cities," said the release.

This will be a base-line survey and there will be subsequent rounds, the civic body said.

Highlighting the methodology of the survey, the BMC said as per ICMR guidelines, it will be conducted in 500 adults aged 18 years or more, and in five clusters identified randomly - Kandivali (East), Kandivali (West), Deonar, Dharavi and Kurla-Sakinaka.

The civic body said the survey will be conducted with the help of local medical officer and health staff along with ICMR-National Institute of Immuno-Haematology teams supported by the WHO teams.

"Teams will visit the randomly selected households and after obtaining consent, detail history of the person and the contact, if any, will be recorded," the BMC said.

Survey teams will collect blood from each participant, the civic body said.

According to the release, in the survey, the detection of COVID-19 specific IgG antibodies will be performed. Development of antibodies is a sign of exposure to the COVID- 19 infection.

"The knowledge gained will help to evolve guidelines to help prevent and control the spread of infection in communities," the BMC said. KK RSY RSY