Only a very small number of people in Virginia have COVID-19 antibodies, meaning nearly 98% of the state is still prone to infection, a new study found.
University of Virginia researchers, using 5,000 blood samples from patients at outpatient clinics for unrelated appointments, found that just 2.4% of the samples had coronavirus antibodies, WRC-TV (Channel 4) reported.
The study, led by Dr. Eric Houpt, head of the university’s infectious diseases division, also found that 60% of those with antibodies were asymptomatic and unaware of the infection.
As of Wednesday, Virginia has more than 95,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, including nearly 2,300 deaths, according to state health department statistics.