A national study on nearly 28000 dialysis patients has been conducted to determine the section of people having antibodies against COVID19 disease in The US. Scientists have used their blood samples to conduct the study. This study gauges through the number of people who have been exposed to the virus and how much community transmission has occurred so far. The testing strategy of the study indicates an easy way to track disease activity for the long-term. Experts have found that about 9.3 percent of people in the US have antibodies against the disease. This study says that despite a higher number of COVID19 cases in the US, the number of people with antibodies is quite low. Scientists have said that they have not even been able to achieve herd immunity yet.
Health experts have said that until an effective vaccine is available, preventive measures should be in place for people who are at a higher risk. This study has been published in The Lancet. The authors of the study have examined the plasma (blood component) from the blood samples of more than 28500 dialysis patients. The research has been conducted at 1300 healthcare facilities across 46 states. Since dialysis patients, enrolled in the study, have not been the representatives of the US residents, experts have regulated the findings based on age, sex, race, region, and ethnicity. They have found 9.3 percent Seropositivity for the US population. There have been large variations in Seropositivity in different states.
The study has said that people from black and Hispanic neighborhood are two to three times more likely to be Seropositive than the white population in the US. People who have been living in poorer areas have two times more levels of antibodies. People, who are living in densely populated areas, are 10 times more Seropositive. The study indicates that 9.2 percent of people with antibodies have been dealing with COVID19. Experts have chosen dialysis patients for the study as they undergo medical checkups every month. This has saved them substantial infrastructure cost as well. Scientists have claimed that dialysis patients are ideal participants to study the evolution of COVID19. The protection level of antibodies found in such patients has not been assessed yet.
