According to a study of more than 1.4 million blood donors across the U.S., more than 80% of Americans have coronavirus antibody. This is a result of infection or vaccination.
The study was published in the journal JAMA on Thursday. It included blood samples from Americans aged 16 or older, collected by 17 organizations from all 50 US states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. Researchers said that 74% of the U.S. population is made up of donations.
According to estimates, the number of Americans with coronavirus antibodies to infection rose from 3.5% to 11.5% between July and December 2020, before vaccines became available. The percentage of Americans with infected-derived antibodies rose to 20% by May 2021.
Researchers found that 83% of Americans have antibodies to either vaccination or infection. (The first COVID-19 vaccine was approved by federal health officials on December 14, 2020.
Hispanics and Blacks were most likely to develop antibodies from infection. This finding is consistent with the case trends that have been observed since the outbreak. However, coronavirus antibodies were found in more Asian and white individuals by May 2021. This is likely due to the fact that these groups had received higher vaccination rates than Hispanics and Blacks.
The study showed that adults 65 years and older are less likely to develop antibodies against infection. Researchers believe that the lower immune system of older adults could explain this. They also participate in COVID-19 preventive activities such as mask wearing and physical distancing.
Researchers point out that their analysis was performed before the U.S. delta variant became dominant and triggered a fourth round of infections. The study's estimates could be higher than reported because many more people have been vaccinated in the time since data collection.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 175.5 million Americans were fully vaccinated by Sept. 3. This is 53% of the population.
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Also, blood donation from children younger than 16 years old was not included in the study. This means that much is still unknown about the prevalence and impact of antibodies in younger individuals.
Researchers stated that the research would continue at least until December 2021. The CDC website will post the results.
A Johns Hopkins tracker has shown that more than 39.6 millions people had contracted the coronavirus in America as of Sept. 3. Nearly 645,000 people have also died.
