Topline
More than half of all Americans—including around 75% of children—had evidence of a prior coronavirus infection in their bloodstream after the omicron variant raged nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday, a reflection of the coronavirus’ staggering reach earlier this year.
A healthcare worker takes a nasal swab sample at a Covid-19 testing site in Los Angeles on July 24, … [+]
Key Facts
About 57.7% of Americans tested positive for coronavirus antibodies in February, up from 33.5% in December, according to the CDC’s study, which looked at more than 60,000 tests nationwide every month (the tests searched for a type of antibody that’s only produced following natural Covid-19 infection, not after vaccination).
That 24-point jump in antibodies corresponded with a record-breaking spike in positive Covid-19 tests nationwide from early December to mid-January, a surge most experts blame on the coronavirus’ more infectious omicron variant.
Positive antibody levels are highest among younger Americans: Some 75.2% of children under 12 and 74.2% of children ages 12 to 17 tested positive for antibodies in February, compared to 63.7% of adults under the age of 50 and just 33.2% of seniors.
The CDC study noted children are far less likely to be vaccinated against Covid-19 than adults, and seniors may have lower rates of antibodies because members of that age group—whose risk of severe Covid-19 is especially high—are more likely to be cautious.
Big Number
80.8 million. That’s the total number of Covid-19 cases diagnosed nationwide since the start of the pandemic as of Sunday, according to the CDC, adding up to less than one-third of the total U.S. population. This number is likely a severe undercount because not all infections are caught through testing and not all test results are reported, the CDC’s study noted.
Tangent
Antibodies from a prior coronavirus case appear to offer some protection against reinfection, though studies on the strength of “natural immunity” are mixed. CDC experts told several news outlets Tuesday that Americans now seem to have a high degree of protection against Covid-19 through both vaccination and prior infection—though the results of Tuesday’s study don’t necessarily mean 57.7% of Americans have enough antibodies to protect themselves against the coronavirus.
Key Background
The omicron variant was first spotted in the United States in early December, and it became the country’s dominant strain later that month. Omicron spreads more rapidly than previous forms of the coronavirus, leading to a large spike in U.S. infections after it took root: More than 800,000 new Covid-19 cases were diagnosed per day in mid-January, up from 87,000 in early December, according to CDC data. Even though omicron appears to be less severe than earlier variants, Covid-related deaths also surged to more than 2,500 per day in early February, more than double early December’s daily fatality count.
What To Watch For
New U.S. coronavirus cases are on the rise again, jumping from an average of around 30,000 per day in the first full week of April to 44,000 last week, though case counts are still nowhere near their January peak. In a CNN opinion piece, White House Covid-19 advisor Dr. Ashish Jha said infections are likely rising due to a new omicron subvariant called BA.2, though he doesn’t expect another massive surge.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2022/04/26/cdc-most-americans-have-had-covid-antibody-tests-show/