A sero-epidemiological survey of the Chinese mainland showed the COVID-19 infection rate was at a low level, said the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday.
People who have come into contact with coronavirus-infected patients have a higher number of antibodies than people who haven't, and the antibody rate of middle-aged and older people is higher than other age groups, according to the survey.
The survey, which enrolled over 34,000 people living in communities across China, was used to measure the proportion of people infected by the novel coronavirus. Blood samples were tested to identify people who have antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease. Those who tested positive may suggest prior infections.
The survey found the antibody rate among samples collected in Wuhan City, the epicenter of China's coronavirus outbreak in Hubei Province, is 4.43 percent, while the rate in other neighboring cities within the province is 0.44 percent.
However, among the more than 12,000 samples collected outside Hubei Province, only two people were found to have coronavirus antibodies. This demonstrates that COVID-19 exposure in the community is uncommon, indicating no widespread community transmission.
