KATHMANDU:  A study has shown that 13.9 per cent of coronavirus infections were found at the community level.

The study conducted by the Epidemiology and Communicable Disease Control Division (EDCD) under the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) with the assistance of World Health Organization (WHO) reached the conclusion, said Division Director General Dr Basudev Pandey.

Seroprevalence survey was conducted after antibody test to ascertain whether the COVID-19 had spread at the community level.

Province 2 and Bagmati Province were found more vulnerable, Dr Pandey added. The mountainous region was comparatively safer as per the study. The people belonging to age group of 15 to 45 years were found to be more infected. Even the children were found infected.

Dr Pandey further said the Ministry would provide more information to this regard.

The Division had collected blood samples from 30 wards from each of the Province and tested antibody to know whether the virus had spread in community level. The blood sample was taken from 15 persons in each ward. A total of 3,170 blood samples were collected for the test. The sample tests were conducted in all districts except Rukum Purba and Rasuwa.

People of different ages, those with and without travel history and the infected and non-infected - were included for sample collection.

The sample collected by the Division was tested at the Teku-based National Public Health Laboratory.

Ministry's Co-Spokesperson Dr Samir Kumar Adhikari said although the infection had spread in the community level, the Ministry had had not shared it formally. After the seroprevalence report arrives in the Ministry, it would be shared how it has spread at community level.