More than half of Americans are showing signs of previous Covid-19 infection, including three in four children, according to a new report released Tuesday.
The findings of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) came after researchers tested blood samples from more than 200,000 Americans and looked for antibodies to fight viruses made from infections, not vaccines. They found that signs of a past infection increased dramatically between December and February, when the more contagious version of Omicron invaded the United States.
For Americans of all ages, about 34% had signs of a previous infection in December. Just two months later, 58% did.
“I expected it to increase. I didn’t expect it to increase that much, “said Dr. Christy Clark, co-leader of the CDC team that monitors the extent of coronavirus infections.
According to the CDC report, the most notable increase is in children. The percentage of those under 17 with antibodies rose from about 45% in December to about 75% in February.
The percentage of children found to have antibodies to the coronavirus rose from 45% in December to about 75% in February. Photo: Hannah Bayer / Reuters
The older people were, the less likely they were to have a history of past infections. This may be due to the fact that older people have a higher vaccination rate and are more likely to take other precautions against Covid-19, such as wearing masks and avoiding crowds, Clark said.
Reported cases had a huge jump in December and January, after which they decreased almost as dramatically as they increased. But the daily number of cases has risen again in recent weeks.
The number of cases is thought to have been reduced, but officials believe the recent increases reflect a real increase in infections. Many Covid-19 infections are mild enough that patients do not seek care or confirmatory laboratory tests. CDC officials say they plan to launch a study soon, which says there have been three infections in recent months for every reported case.
Another recent trend: US health officials say they have seen a two-week increase in hospitalizations with Covid-19, although numbers remain relatively low. The hospital admission is about 1,600 a day, an increase of 9% in the previous week, the CDC said.
However, the available evidence gives reason to hope for how the pandemic is going, officials suggest.
“We do not expect more severe disease from some of these sub-options, but we are actively studying them,” said Dr. Rochelle Valenski, director of the CDC, on Tuesday.
The test looks for any detectable level of antibodies; did not distinguish how many people have levels of antibodies that may be protective. Scientists are still trying to understand what role these types of antibodies play in protecting against future exposure to viruses.
Officials continue to urge Americans to receive vaccines and boosters that offer additional protection against Covid-19 for everyone, including those who have previously been infected.
The Associated Press contributed to the report.
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