PORTLAND, Ore. The Oregon Health Authority on Friday released a coronavirus study indicating that a “substantial” portion of Oregonians have an undiagnosed and unreported case of COVID-19.
The study, written by OHA epidemiologists, found that 1% of Oregonians who do not have COVID-19 have evidence of past infection in the blood in the past.
Officials say this is 10 times higher than the reported rate of infections found through conventional tests.
“We suspect that a much larger segment of the Oregon population is exposed to and infected with COVID-19 than traditional diagnostic tests show,” said Paul Cieslak, MD, a study co-author and OHA medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations. . “But these results also tell us that the vast majority of Oregonians remain susceptible to this virus.”
Nine of the 897 blood samples collected from 19 health care facilities in Oregon between May 11 and June 15 contained antibodies against the virus that causes COVID-19.
The rates of infection were shown to increase with age, with no antibodies found in the blood of pediatric patients 17 and younger.
The first Oregon case of coronavirus was diagnosed on February 28. By May 31, 4243 people had positive tests, but these data are not responsible for people who did not seek tests.
“Because most of us are still sensitive,” Cieslak said, “we need to practice physical distance and masking until we have effective vaccines, treatments or other ways to reduce disease.”
Antibodies do not appear in your bloodstream until two to three weeks after exposure to the virus, Cieslak said. He added at the moment that experts are unsure if antibodies have protection against COVID-19.
Visit the CDC website for more information on antibody testing.
