46
HEALTHCARE
NEWS
43% of Americans have had COVID-19, CDC estimates
By Gabrielle Masson
M
ore than 140 million Americans
— about 43 percent of the nation's
population — have had COV-
ID-19, according to CDC estimates cited by
e Washington Post.
Every two weeks, the CDC collects thousands
of blood tests analyzed by commercial labs
for reasons unrelated to COVID-19. ose
samples are also tested for coronavirus anti-
bodies. e data is from 72,000 blood samples
gathered through Jan. 29, which means the
number of Americans infected is likely much
higher now. e study counts each person
only once and includes only antibodies from
natural infection, not from vaccination.
Nevada wasn't included in the estimates, and
there was insufficient data for North Dakota,
Arizona and Utah.
Five things to know, per the study:
1. Infection rate estimates are much higher
for children and younger adults. e study
found 58 percent of children age 11 or
younger have antibodies from natural infec-
tion, along with the same share among ages
12-17.
2. Just under half of adults 49 and younger
have been infected. e rate decreases to
37 percent for people 50-64 years and 23
percent among Americans 65 or older.
3. At the end of November — just before
omicron began spreading in the U.S. — the
study estimated 103 million Americans had
been infected. According to that measure,
37 million new people got COVID-19 in the
two months ending late January.
4. At least half of the population in 14
states have had COVID-19, with Wisconsin
reporting 56 percent of its population at
one point infected. e other states with a
majority infection rate, in descending order,
are Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, Wyoming,
Texas, Indiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Michi-
gan, New Jersey, Tennessee and Louisiana.
5. Vermont has the lowest estimated infec-
tion rate with 18 percent. e next-lowest
states in ascending order are Hawaii, Maine,
Oregon, Washington, New Hampshire, Vir-
ginia and Massachusetts.
n
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