140 million Americans have had coronavirus -- CDC analysis

140 million Americans have had coronavirus, according to blood tests analyzed by CDC More than 140 million Americans have had the coronavirus, according to estimates from blood tests that reveal antibodies from infection - about double the rate regularly cited by national case counts. The estimates, compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, show that about 43% of the country has been infected by the virus. The study shows that the majority of children have also been infected.Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories fr YahooNews

More than 140 million Americans have had the coronavirus, according to estimates from blood tests that reveal antibodies from infection - about double the rate regularly cited by national case counts.

The estimates, compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, show that about 43% of the country has been infected by the virus. The study shows that the majority of children have also been infected.

The data goes through late January, when the omicron variant of the coronavirus was causing more than 500,000 cases a day, meaning the number of Americans now infected is considerably higher. The data comes from 72,000 blood samples taken in January.

The highly infectious variant has caused case counts to skyrocket. As of late November, just before the omicron variant began spreading in the United States, the blood test study estimated that 103 million people had been infected. By that measure, 37 million new people caught the virus over two months ending in late January.

... the estimated 140 million is well over double the number of people included in counts by The Washington Post or government agencies as of late January.

The blood tests count only antibodies from natural infection, including asymptomatic cases, not from vaccination. The study measures the presence of antibodies. It does not indicate whether there is strong protection against subsequent infection.

Infection rates are much higher for children and younger adults, the study found. It estimated that 58% of children up to age 11 have antibodies from natural infection, along with the same share of children age 12 to 17.

Just under half of adults up to 49 have been infected, the CDC estimates. The rate drops to 37% for people 50 to 64 and 23% of people 65 or older. ...

At least half of the population in 14 states has been infected, blood tests showed, from 56% in Wisconsin to half in Georgia. The other states with a majority infection rate, in descending order, are Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, Wyoming, Texas, Indiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Michigan, New Jersey, Tennessee and Louisiana. New York is just under that level, at 49%.

The lowest infection rate is in Vermont, with 18%. The next-lowest states in ascending order are Hawaii, Maine, Oregon, Washington, New Hampshire, Virginia and Massachusetts, which tops the lowest states with 37%.

Nevada was not included in the study, and there was insufficient data for North Dakota, Arizona and Utah. ...