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Changhua antibody study shows low rates of coronavirus exposure
A testing programme for coronavirus antibodies by the National Taiwan University's College of Public Health has found low rates of exposure to the virus among high-risk population groups.
The results of the mass-testing program in Changhua County are being seen as a significant validation of the Central Epidemic Command Center's efforts to control the disease.
Changhua Public Health Bureau Director Yeh Yen-bo says the study tested for neutralizing antibodies the body produces following exposure to the virus and was intended to offer a picture of how prevalent the disease was during its peak in Taiwan in February and March.
Researchers took samples from 4,841 subjects with a higher risk of coronavirus exposure, including the contacts of confirmed cases and people in home quarantine after returning from abroad, as well as healthcare workers and epidemic prevention staff.
According to Yeh, neutralizing antibodies were found in only four of the test subjects, equating to a positive rate of 8.3 per 10,000 people.
And Yeh is describing such a low rate of exposure in a high-risk population as being “extremely good news”.
