Fewer than 10% of people infected with Covid-19 in first wave developed antibodies, study suggests

Few people seem to have developed antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 after the first wave of infections earlier this year, according to a large, new study. Data from more than 28,000 U.S. patients on dialysis revealed that only about 10% of people who were infected with Covid-19 actually developed antibodies by July, and fewer than 10% of this group had been diagnosed with the illness using antigen or PCR testing. Researchers explained that this group of patients on dialysis was ideal to represent the situation in the U.S. as they get monthly blood draws and tend to be older or from underrepresented racial groups, and both populations have been disproportionately impacted by Covid-19. And consistent with other data, those living in predominantly Black or Hispanic neighborhoods experienced higher likelihood of infection — up to four times higher — than those in majority white areas.