Nearly 60 percent of Americans now have antibodies from Covid-19 infection

Source: Politico | April 26, 2022 | Krista Mahr

The Omicron BA.2 subvariant now accounts for most cases in the country, with the number of BA.2.12.1 subvariant cases on the rise particularly in the Northeast.

Nearly 60 percent of the U.S. population has antibodies due to Covid-19 infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a steep rise that marks the first time during the pandemic when more than half of Americans have shown evidence of the virus infection.

For children, the numbers were even higher, according to the new CDC data. About three in four children and adolescents had Covid-19 antibodies in the December 2021 to February 2022 study period, in keeping with the age groups’ lower vaccination rates compared to adults.

The evidence of the virus’ long reach in America comes as case numbers continue to rise across the nation. The seven-day average case count for last week was 44,416 as of April 25, up more than 20 percent from the week before. Hospitalizations also rose during that time period by over 6 percent.

The Omicron BA.2 subvariant now accounts for most cases in the country, with the number of BA.2.12.1 subvariant cases on the rise particularly in the Northeast.

But even those numbers don’t offer a full picture of the virus’ presence in the country, CDC officials said on Tuesday. A soon-to-be-released CDC study indicates that from December to February there were an estimated three infections per reported case, varying by region, Kristie Clarke, co-lead for the agency’s COVID-19 Epidemiology and Surveillance Taskforce Seroprevalence Team, said during a briefing with reporters.

The rise in the presence of antibodies from 43 percent of Americans in January to 57 percent in February was also faster than CDC officials expected.

Clarke cautioned that the fact that most Americans now have antibodies does not guarantee them protection from reinfection or any kind of group immunity, noting that there is still not a known threshold at which the virus stops circulating.

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