RossyG
Well-known member
- Dec 20, 2014
- 2,630
A Paywalled article from The Telegraph.
Many more people may have been infected with the coronavirus and acquired immunity than previously thought, according to a groundbreaking study in Germany.
Scientists studying the town at the epicentre of Germany's first major outbreak said they had found antibodies to the virus in people who had shown no symptoms and were not previously thought to have been infected.
The findings suggest the mortality rate for the virus in Germany is just 0.37 per cent — five times lower than current estimates.
Initial results based on around half the tests found 2 per cent of inhabitants are currently infected and 14 per cent had antibodies to the virus.
Allowing for overlap that suggests 15 per cent of people in the town now have immunity — compared to the previous estimate of 5 per cent.
But the study's authors said they were grounds for cautious optimism. An immunity rate of 15 per cent is already enough to slow the spread of the virus significantly, they said in a joint statement.
The study found a mortality rate of 0.37 per cent, compared to Johns Hopkins University’s current estimate for Germany of 1.98 per cent.
“The much lower mortality rate in Gangelt is explained by the fact this study is detecting all infected people, including those with no symptoms or very mild illness,” they said.
Many more people may have been infected with the coronavirus and acquired immunity than previously thought, according to a groundbreaking study in Germany.
Scientists studying the town at the epicentre of Germany's first major outbreak said they had found antibodies to the virus in people who had shown no symptoms and were not previously thought to have been infected.
The findings suggest the mortality rate for the virus in Germany is just 0.37 per cent — five times lower than current estimates.
Initial results based on around half the tests found 2 per cent of inhabitants are currently infected and 14 per cent had antibodies to the virus.
Allowing for overlap that suggests 15 per cent of people in the town now have immunity — compared to the previous estimate of 5 per cent.
But the study's authors said they were grounds for cautious optimism. An immunity rate of 15 per cent is already enough to slow the spread of the virus significantly, they said in a joint statement.
The study found a mortality rate of 0.37 per cent, compared to Johns Hopkins University’s current estimate for Germany of 1.98 per cent.
“The much lower mortality rate in Gangelt is explained by the fact this study is detecting all infected people, including those with no symptoms or very mild illness,” they said.
