Tondiarpet and Royapuram buck the trend in second wave

Tondiarpet and Royapuram are the solely zones in the Greater Chennai Corporation which have reported fewer instances per lakh inhabitants in the second wave of COVID-19 to this point in comparison with the first wave, an evaluation of zone-wise information confirmed.

These two zones in the northern area in Chennai had been the worst-affected throughout the early section of the first wave. A seroprevalence survey carried out by the National Institute of Epidemiology throughout the first wave in the second half of July final 12 months confirmed that 44.2 % and 34.4 % of the surveyed inhabitants in Tondiarpet and Royapuram respectively had publicity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

According to the evaluation, 2,424 folks per lakh inhabitants examined optimistic for COVID-19 throughout the first wave in Royapuram. In distinction, 1,943 instances per lakh inhabitants have been reported to this point throughout the second wave. These numbers had been 2,341 throughout the first wave and 2,186 throughout the second wave for the Tondiarpet zone. (Refer to the accompanying infographic on the interval and variety of instances considered for the evaluation).

In all different zones, reported instances per lakh inhabitants have considerably gone up already in the ongoing second wave.

Some of the zones the place a pointy improve was noticed had been Perungudi, Alandur and Valasaravakkam in the southern area of the metropolis and Ambattur in central area. For occasion, the instances per lakh inhabitants went up from 1,888 to three,633 in Perungudi.

During the second wave, the southern area of the metropolis, comprising zone 11 (Valasaravakkam) to zone 15 (Sholinganallur), accounted for extra instances in comparison with the first wave. While 26 % of instances got here from right here throughout the first wave, it was 31% in the second wave.

The central area, the place almost half of the metropolis’s inhabitants resides, accounted for the most variety of instances, each throughout the first wave (48 %) and the second wave (49 %). In distinction, the northern area accounted for 20% in the second wave in comparison with 26% in the first wave.

The zone-wise variety of checks haven’t been made accessible by GCC to know if there have been any disparities in testing that partially accounted for the variance in the reporting of instances.

P. Ganeshkumar, epidemiologist, National Institute of Epidemiology, Chennai, stated that it might be deceptive to learn an excessive amount of into the seroprevalence survey outcomes and the potential correlation with the instances getting reported in completely different zones.

“What is more important is the fact that the majority of the population is still susceptible to the virus. Therefore, the way forward must be to vaccinate as much of the population as soon as possible,” he stated.