COVID-19 Seroprevalence among Old-age Home Residents of Odisha, India

SUMMARY: Elderly population are at greater risk for developing morbid conditions, especially due to COVID-19 infection. The study aims to assess the seroprevalence among elderly population of old-age homes in Odisha. A cross-sectional design was adopted for this study. Blood samples from 697 elderly individuals aged 60 years and above were collected from 30 elderly care homes in 12 districts of Odisha. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Descriptive analysis was used to present frequency distribution and percentages. About 678 (97.2%) elderly individuals had developed seropositivity against COVID-19. Around 98% of the elderly population had received Covishield vaccine and the rest 2% had received Covaxin. These findings suggest that antibody testing of individuals in old-age homes is helpful for disease surveillance and a critical screening tool in the pursuit of reducing the mortality in this pandemic.