July 5, 2023 – A recent estimate suggests that by the top of 2022, nearly one in five people within the United States may have never been infected with COVID-19.
The Results comes from an evaluation of blood donations. The CDC analyzed the donated blood of 143,000 people every three months in 2022, searching for the presence of COVID antibodies, which meant an individual had previously been infected with the virus. The prevalence of antibodies from previous infections rose steadily all year long. Antibodies from previous infections were present in:
- 49% of donors (as of February 15, 2022)
- 59% of donors (as of May 15, 2022)
- 70% of donors (as of August 15, 2022)
- 78% of donors (as of November 15, 2022)
The donor blood was also tested for the presence of antibodies known to return from COVID vaccination. When vaccine-induced antibody data and people induced by infection were combined, the CDC estimated that 97% of individuals had antibodies by the top of 2022.
In the report, CDC authors explained that while the presence of antibodies is linked to protection against infection and fewer severe disease, an individual's antibody levels can vary. The authors said standards haven't yet been established indicating a minimum level of antibodies needed for defense.
As of July 3, greater than 1.1 million people within the United States had died from COVID-19, based on CDC data. Deaths in the primary half of 2023 have dropped dramatically in comparison with the primary three years of the pandemic. This 12 months, the virus was listed as an underlying or contributing cause on only 41,538 death certificates. About two in three COVID deaths this 12 months occurred in a hospital or nursing home, and 89% of people that died from the virus this 12 months were 65 or older.
