Nearly half of Dhaka residents carry Covid-19 antibodies, says study

A new study has revealed that about 45 per cent of Dhaka residents have developed Covid-19 antibodies. The study says that the rate climbs to 74 per cent among slum-dwellers in the city.

The study, commissioned by the government`s disease control agency IEDCR, was conducted between April 18 and July 5 in collaboration with USAID. The national-level study found presence of the virus in 9.8 per cent of the samples.

The study was unveiled during an event in Dhaka on Monday.

The data showed that until July 5, 45 per cent of people in Dhaka were infected with coronavirus and they developed antibodies in the process.

Among the infected, around 24 per cent were over the age of 60, while 18 per cent were between 15-19 years old.

The virus was detected in the samples of 12,699 people living in the 25 wards of Dhaka, equating to an infection rate of 9.8 per cent, according to the researchers.

The researchers also found "some information" on re-infections in Bangladesh over the course of the study, reports bdnews24.

Health Minister Zahid Maleque, who participated at the event via video link, said: "The government has acted quickly to prevent the transmission of the novel coronavirus. Due to this, the prevalence of coronavirus in the country is low.

"Compared to many other countries, Bangladesh has done well in controlling coronavirus."

Bangladesh, one of the worst-hit South Asian country after India, has so far reported more than 380,000 coronavirus cases, with 5,555 deaths.

(With IANS inputs)