The immunity of the population to Covid-19 will be studied in Latvia / Article / LSM.lv

In order to find out the spread of Covid-19 virus in Latvia and the population’s immunity to this virus, leading researchers of the State Scientific Institute “Bior” in cooperation with the University of Latvia (LU) and Riga Stradins University (RSU) have launched a study, “Bior” informed.

More than 100 GP practices in different regions of Latvia are participating in the study, where 6,800 patients will be offered a free antibody test. Scientists want to find out if the population has antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which shows that they have Covid-19.

According to the researchers, there is limited knowledge about the response of the human body’s immune system to SARS-CoV-2. That’s why

calls on the population to be contacted by GP practices to refer to the study.

Scientists want to find out the immunity of the Latvian population after Covid-19. There is still a lack of information about this coronavirus in the world and little evidence of permanent immunity after the virus has spread.

The latest available data show that patients who were infected with the virus maintained their immunity for six months after infection, according to Bior.

The true prevalence of Covid-19 in Latvia is still unknown. Some patients have a viral infection without complaints, and not everyone with symptoms is tested for Covid-19. The study will reveal the overall prevalence of the virus in the country and how immune our population is.

Bior states that the cause of Covid-19 is the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which can cause both mild respiratory infections and severe illness with serious complications such as pneumonia, kidney failure, and even death. The virus spreads from one person to another through air droplets when an infected person speaks, coughs, sneezes.

CONTEXT:

During the Covid-19 outbreak in the spring, an emergency situation was declared in Latvia to control the new coronavirus. The situation was stable in the summer, but the morbidity at the end of September fast increased. The government tightened security measures, but the incidence of Covid-19 continued to rise.

In order to limit the spread of Covid-19 in Latvia, the government decided on November 6 to re-declare a state of emergency in the country, which will be in force from November 9 to December 6, new stricter restrictions have been introduced.

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