Spanish Antibody Study Finds 5% of Population Exposed to Coronavirus

[Northerner]

MADRID (Reuters) - Results from the final stage of a nationwide antibody study suggest that some 5.2% of Spain's population has been exposed to the new coronavirus, health officials said on Monday, confirming findings from earlier stages.

The study, which tested nearly 70,000 people across Spain three times over the past three months, found the virus' prevalence had not altered significantly since preliminary results were published in May.

It also suggested that antibodies to the virus can be short-lived, with 14% of participants who tested positive in the first stage subsequently testing negative in the last stage.

"Immunity can be incomplete, it can be transitory, it can last for just a short time and then disappear," said Dr Raquel Yotti, director of Spain's Carlos III Health Institute, which co-led the study.

Spanish Antibody Study Finds 5% of Population Exposed to Coronavirus

Results from the final stage of a nationwide antibody study suggest that some 5.2% of Spain's population has been exposed to the new coronavirus, health officials said on Monday, confirming findings from earlier stages.

www.medscape.com

Surprisingly few 😱 And not encouraging for herd immunity.

 

[Robin]

MADRID (Reuters) - Results from the final stage of a nationwide antibody study suggest that some 5.2% of Spain's population has been exposed to the new coronavirus, health officials said on Monday, confirming findings from earlier stages.

The study, which tested nearly 70,000 people across Spain three times over the past three months, found the virus' prevalence had not altered significantly since preliminary results were published in May.

It also suggested that antibodies to the virus can be short-lived, with 14% of participants who tested positive in the first stage subsequently testing negative in the last stage.

"Immunity can be incomplete, it can be transitory, it can last for just a short time and then disappear," said Dr Raquel Yotti, director of Spain's Carlos III Health Institute, which co-led the study.

Spanish Antibody Study Finds 5% of Population Exposed to Coronavirus

Results from the final stage of a nationwide antibody study suggest that some 5.2% of Spain's population has been exposed to the new coronavirus, health officials said on Monday, confirming findings from earlier stages.

www.medscape.com

Surprisingly few 😱 And not encouraging for herd immunity.

I thought it had been decided that a lot of people (especially at the younger end) relied on their T cells to see off the virus, and didn’t produce any antibodies, so how can they say that everyone with antibodies is the sum total of those who have had it?

 

[Northerner]

I thought it had been decided that a lot of people (especially at the younger end) relied on their T cells to see off the virus, and didn’t produce any antibodies, so how can they say that everyone with antibodies is the sum total of those who have had it?

Yes, a chap on Newsnight was suggesting as many as 30% 🙂 If only we knew who they were!