CDC: 25% of New Yorkers have had coronavirus

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tested blood for antibodies to COVID-19 collected from New Yorkers during routine check-ups and doctor visits. As a result, 2,8 million patients were found to have antibodies to coronavirus. The edition writes about it Patch.

Almost a quarter of New Yorkers, Long Island and Westchester residents who have had their blood drawn have been found to have antibodies to the coronavirus by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This amounts to just over 2,8 million people. According to official city data, as of July 23, just over 219 cases of the disease were registered.

The CDC has teamed up with commercial labs to assess infection rates in five states and major US cities. For this, blood samples were taken from people who came to doctors for routine examinations, or to pass tests.

As a result, it turned out that about 23% of New Yorkers, from whom blood was taken at the end of May, had antibodies to this virus. The collection area included the counties of Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester, as well as the New York areas.

This is the second study from the CDC. The first, which ended on May 3, showed that the infection rate in New York City was 6,9%.

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The second study was conducted from May 21 to 26. A total of 116 samples were collected.

The resulting figure was much higher than anywhere else in the country. From the areas where the second survey was conducted, the following figures were obtained: in Washington state, the infection rate was 2,1%, in Utah - 1,1%, in Minnesota - 2,2%, in Missouri - 2,8%, in Philadelphia - 3,6% and Connecticut - 5,2%.

The CDC warned that the survey results are based on testing people who have been bled during routine doctor visits. Therefore, it cannot reflect the full picture of the incidence among the population.

Results reported by the CDC are corrected for false positive and false negative results. The CDC noted that it is possible that antibody levels may decline over time, and people who have previously tested positive for antibodies may at some point get a negative test result.

The CDC also warned that the study's findings do not mean that people with antibodies to COVID-19 are now immune to the virus. It is still unknown how long antibodies last and what level of protection they provide.

Recall that earlier scientists found out How does a person affect the SARS-CoV-2 mutation... The researchers note that all organisms mutate, but this is usually a random process as a result of mistakes made when copying DNA. The results of this study could help develop vaccines to combat the new virus.