Eyebetes Foundation announces

Eyebetes Foundation announces results from India’s largest
sero-surveillance study amongst health workers

- Just 11% of healthcare workers show evidence of Covid-19 infection

- Healthcare workers in non-Covid-19 hospitals have higher seroprevalence than Covid-19 hospitals

The Eyebetes Foundation and Dr Nishant Kumar along with doctors at Sir JJ Group of hospitals and with the support of Smt. Supriya Sule (Member Parliament and senior NCP leader), conducted the largest-of-its-kind sero-surveillance study in India to evaluate how many healthcare workers had been infected with Covid-19 in the recent past. The study checked for the presence of antibodies to the Covid-19 virus, SARS-CoV-2, in doctors, nurses and ancillary staff. The healthcare workers were from three of Mumbai's largest government hospitals: JJ Hospital, GT Hospital and St Georges Hospital.

In the study, 11.1% of healthcare workers tested positive for Covid-19 antibodies, which was lower than some other developed countries such as the UK (45%, in one study). Some of these healthcare workers had been screened earlier and found positive for Covid-19. Amongst those who had never had any symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, 9.6% were seropositive. [DTC1] This means they unknowingly had an infection and could have transmitted the virus to others, if they were not careful about safety and hygiene protocols. 

Contrary to what was expected, the seroprevalence in non-Covid-19 hospitals was significantly higher than those in Covid-19 hospitals (13.5% vs. 8.7%). Moreover, there were significant differences amongst the groups of healthcare workers: 7% of doctors and 6.8% of nurses had Covid-19 antibodies, as compared to 18.5% of ancillary healthcare workers.

Commenting about the findings, Dr Nishant Kumar, lead author and founder of the Eyebetes Foundation, says, “Doctors and nurses are known to be at an increased risk of Covid-19 infection because of their continuous exposure to and close contact with patients who may have Covid-19. Our study highlights that in addition to these frontline health workers, ancillary workers appear to be at a higher risk of infection, indicating their need for better protection on the job. We were also surprised by the higher seroprevalence in non-Covid-19 hospitals, which emphasises the need for the same level of Covid-19 protection protocols and policies, regardless of the type of hospital.”

The risk of Covid-19 in ancillary healthcare workers has not been documented so far. These cleaners, porters, ward boys, laboratory technicians, ward clerks, administrative staff and security staff also come in direct contact with patients and may work closely and intimately with them during their stay in the hospital.

Commenting about what needs to be done, Dr Shibal Bhartiya, Senior Consultant, Ophthalmology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, India says, “This is the first study to evaluate the risk of Covid-19 in ancillary workers in such detail. It is possible that the high seroprevalence in this group is linked to poor awareness of the precautions they need to take, to reduce their risk of getting and transmitting Covid-19. These 'mamas' and 'mausis', as they are affectionately called, are the backbone of patient care and cannot be expected to socially distance from patients. We need to train them and have more frequent testing amongst this group so that those who get the infection can be treated and recover fully before returning to patient care.”

The Eyebetes Foundation study has been submitted to The Lancet for peer review and publication.

KFC India to provide 1 Million Meals

KFC India to provide 1 Million Meals to Feed Communities in Need

Extends support to migrant workers and daily wage earners

KFC India today announced, that it has pledged to donate at least 1 Million meals to help communities in need during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. These meals will be provided to migrant workers and daily wage earners struggling to earn a livelihood and afford meals during the extended lockdown. Supported by the Yum! Foundation, KFC India will be funding these meals.

“Giving back is one of KFC’s core values. As a nation, we are all working collectively to flatten the Covid-19 curve; at the same time there are many in our communities who are adversely impacted because of the ongoing lockdown. They are grappling with limited or no access to essential items, including food, for their families. As individuals & corporates, we have an opportunity to make a positive difference to their lives and provide access to nutritious food. We are all together in this fight against Covid-19 and I have faith that we will come through stronger and better”, said Samir Menon, Managing Director, KFC India.

KFC has partnered with ResponseNet to work with impacted communities in need across Delhi, Assam, Bangalore, Mumbai, Jharkhand and other states. ResponseNet will be disseminating kits of essential food and necessity items as rice, flour, pulses, cooking oil, spices, etc. in the identified regions. With growing uncertainty around the situation of Covid-19, these kits provide interim relief to the families.

 KFC India has also made the following commitments to support its people and communities during the ongoing pandemic.

Thanking frontline warriors - Healthcare workers: KFC is committed to serving more than 10,000 thank you KFC meals to healthcare workers at hospitals across Delhi, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata.

Employee well-being : Yum! Brands Foundation has set up the Global Employee Medical Relief Fund, to provide financial support for KFC team members at company and franchise-owned restaurants all across the world, who may be diagnosed with or who are caring for someone diagnosed with COVID-19.

Continuing to serve consumers through Safe & Contactless Delivery: Consumers can avail the Contactless Delivery option on prepaid orders, thereby ensuring no up-close contact with our delivery riders at the time of receiving the food, including exchange of cash. Tamper-evident seals used on the food delivery bags reassure that the food has been untouched by anyone once packed and until delivered to the customer. KFC continues to implement stringent measures as regular temperature checks, intensified sanitization of surfaces at the restaurants, social distancing, even in the kitchens, etc. across all restaurants.