Mass antibody study finds 3.4 million in England Had Covid-19

Photographer: Simon Dawson / Bloomberg

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About 3.4 million people in England – 6% of the population – have contracted coronavirus, with infection rates twice as high in London, a large antibody study found.

A mass survey of more than 100,000 people – which the government says is the largest of its kind in the world – suggested that the extent of the outbreak varies widely between different areas and population groups.

In In London, 13% of people had antibodies, while in the South West of England it was less than 3%, according to the study, released by the Department of Health and Imperial College London. People from ethnic groups Black, Asian and other minorities, healthcare workers and people living in larger households were one of the most likely infections.

The study involved 100,000 people testing themselves at home for coronavirus antibodies between July 20 and 13. The government said there is no solid evidence that antibodies confer immunity.

But the findings are significant because they are likely to influence the decisions that officials will make about what kind of lockdown restrictions will be needed in the future, and which groups are most at risk. The government of Boris Johnson has been attacked for its handling of the pandemic, which left the UK with the highest death toll in Europe and for the deepest recession of any similar country.

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There was no breakthrough in the demand for a test of home antibodies for general use among the public. Separate studies, also unveiled on Thursday, evaluated a range of finger-prick anti-antity tests, but found the results were not reliable enough to get government approval for widespread use, officials said. The tests were still considered suitable for supervisory studies such as imperial research.

The burden of Covid-19 “has been particularly heavy on ethnic minority groups and key workers, especially in care homes and health care, ”Said Professor Helen Ward, one of the researchers involved. “Those in remote and densely populated areas are likely to be exposed to the virus, and we need to do much more to protect people from all future waves of infection.”

The findings included:

• Among the most likely to be infected were home care workers (16%) and health care staff (12%).
• In the wider population, 17% of people with black backgrounds and 12% of people from Asian groups were infected.
• People in the most deprived areas of England had higher antibody levels than those in the richest areas.
• The study suggested one in three people with antibodies showed no symptoms, a feature that increased among the over-65s.

This surveillance study will be repeated in the fall and will test a further 200,000 people for antibodies. The government is urging more people to sign up.