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Could Mumbai’s Slums Be Headed to Herd Immunity?

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A recent survey in Mumbai’s slums finds that more than half of the residents have developed antibodies for COVID-19, indicating that some of India’s most densely packed settlements, which pose the greatest challenge in containing the spread of the infection, could be heading toward “herd immunity.”While urban slums may be inadvertently developing population immunity, though, officials are ruling it out as an option in tackling the rampaging infection, saying it could never be a choice but only an outcome.”Herd immunity” is achieved when a large part of the community develops antibodies against the virus, acting as a wall against its further spread.India is a global hotspot for COVID-19, with infections topping 1.6 million.A healthcare worker checks the temperature of residents of a slum area using an electronic thermometer, in Mumbai, India, July 6, 2020.Antibody developmentA government survey carried out earlier in July in parts of the capital New Delhi found that one in four residents had developed antibodies.As the two surveys turn the spotlight on possible “herd immunity,” the health ministry said that in a country like India with a huge population, this can only be an “outcome” and that, too, at a very high cost as it means lots of people would have to be infected.Rajesh Bhushan, officer on special duty in the health ministry underlined that the country must follow “COVID-10-appropriate behavior”—like wearing masks, avoiding gatherings and following hand hygiene util a vaccine is developed.After being ravaged by the coronavirus, both Delhi and Mumbai are showing a downward trend.Nonetheless, Mumbai, like several other parts of the country, continues to impose a stringent lockdown. Some commentators said the results of the serological studies test the logic of the shutdown and should encourage authorities to restart economic activity.Pointing to the recent surveys in the two cities, The Times of India newspaper said in an editorial that the “high prevalence of antibodies with asymptomatic spread makes a strong case for faster unlocking with safeguards.”

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