COVID-19: Anambra Govt Begins Sero Prevalence Survey

Following declining infection rate of the global pandemic, COVID-19 in the state, Anambra Government has commenced what it calls sero prevalence survey.

Coronavirus sero survey is a research based engagement which allows health officials interrogate figures and investigate individuals who may have contracted the virus previously without knowing.

The Honourable Commissioner for Health, Dr. Vincent Okpala made this known recently during a workshop for Tuberculosis Focal Persons drawn from the twenty-one (21) Council Areas in the State on COVID-19 Sero Prevalence Survey and held at the Jerome Udoji Secretariat in Awka.

Dr. Okpala said; ” the essence of the study is to find out why the state COVID-19 cases are low and investigate people that might have contracted the disease without knowing”

“The workshop is a training of trainers at local government level that will help cascade down to the field officers for the select health facilities in the state”.

“You will help us investigate if there were people in the state that their blood sample showed that they were exposed to COVID-19 without them knowing and without confirmation from us,’’

`We started planning this for the past five months ago and the survey will take us about four or five months to conclude withe over 200 healthcare facilities. We have strong consultants supporting us on this and I’m happy it’s now a reality”

“The good thing is that it is fully funded by the state government and it is first that it is happening in health, we are happy to be the first state that thought of doing this”, the Dr. Okpala said.

The commissioner while appreciating Governor Willie Obiano for always supporting and providing his ministry with necessary equipment and funding that enable them to conduct the exercise appealed to the public to cooperate with field workers in order for them to ascertain who has been exposed to the disease before.