<p>The Karnataka Covid-19 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) has recommended conducting the second round of serosurvey in the state in January — either in the first or second week — after the gram panchayat polls and the New Year's celebrations. </p>.<p>Earlier, the government had announced that the survey would be conducted in December and another one in March. </p>.<p>The second wave of Covid-19 is predicted around the same time. Five to seven days is the maximum infectious period and 14 days is the maximum incubation period of the virus.</p>.<p>Last time, the survey had projected that nearly two crore people might have been infected with Covid-19 in the state while till date only more than nine lakh cases have been reported in the official daily bulletins. </p>.<p>Health and family welfare department commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey told <span class="italic">DH:</span> "TAC has recommended to do it (second serosurvey) in January in the first or second week after gram panchayat elections and New Year's celebrations. Around 15,000 samples will be drawn from various groups. The second serosurvey will be tweaked as per the developing Covid-19 situation and TAC’s vision." </p>.<p>For the first survey, samples from 15,624 individuals were taken. </p>.<p>A TAC member said: "It is recommended to take samples from the same 290 hospitals from 30 districts and other places and people, like vegetable markets, autorickshaw drivers, transport workers, drivers and conductors, as the results have to be comparable with the first survey’s results. This is a dictum in sampling methodology. Else, how can we compare the second survey to the first?" </p>.<p>Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centres (VCTC) and Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (ICTC) counsellors, who are a part of the National AIDS Control Organisation, have been trained to take samples for the serosurvey, the TAC member said. </p>.<p>"The same interviewer groups will be involved in the second serosurvey. We will discuss if an incubation period for the virus has to be factored in after New Year before deciding on the survey’s date,” he said. </p>.<p>A source said, “There have been many events in the past two months including upcoming Christmas. Gram panchayat elections will be a major driver for us.” </p>.<p>A two-phase poll to over 5,762 gram panchayats across 30 districts in Karnataka will be held on December 22 and 27. Another TAC member said they are observing an increasing number of crowds at marriages and that is a cause for concern. </p>
<p>The Karnataka Covid-19 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) has recommended conducting the second round of serosurvey in the state in January — either in the first or second week — after the gram panchayat polls and the New Year's celebrations. </p>.<p>Earlier, the government had announced that the survey would be conducted in December and another one in March. </p>.<p>The second wave of Covid-19 is predicted around the same time. Five to seven days is the maximum infectious period and 14 days is the maximum incubation period of the virus.</p>.<p>Last time, the survey had projected that nearly two crore people might have been infected with Covid-19 in the state while till date only more than nine lakh cases have been reported in the official daily bulletins. </p>.<p>Health and family welfare department commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey told <span class="italic">DH:</span> "TAC has recommended to do it (second serosurvey) in January in the first or second week after gram panchayat elections and New Year's celebrations. Around 15,000 samples will be drawn from various groups. The second serosurvey will be tweaked as per the developing Covid-19 situation and TAC’s vision." </p>.<p>For the first survey, samples from 15,624 individuals were taken. </p>.<p>A TAC member said: "It is recommended to take samples from the same 290 hospitals from 30 districts and other places and people, like vegetable markets, autorickshaw drivers, transport workers, drivers and conductors, as the results have to be comparable with the first survey’s results. This is a dictum in sampling methodology. Else, how can we compare the second survey to the first?" </p>.<p>Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centres (VCTC) and Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (ICTC) counsellors, who are a part of the National AIDS Control Organisation, have been trained to take samples for the serosurvey, the TAC member said. </p>.<p>"The same interviewer groups will be involved in the second serosurvey. We will discuss if an incubation period for the virus has to be factored in after New Year before deciding on the survey’s date,” he said. </p>.<p>A source said, “There have been many events in the past two months including upcoming Christmas. Gram panchayat elections will be a major driver for us.” </p>.<p>A two-phase poll to over 5,762 gram panchayats across 30 districts in Karnataka will be held on December 22 and 27. Another TAC member said they are observing an increasing number of crowds at marriages and that is a cause for concern. </p>
