57% had antibodies that indicate they had contact with the coronavirus
A sample survey has found that more than half of residents in the northern Italian city of Bergamo have antibodies to Covid-19, municipal health officials said on Monday.
Of the 9.965 residents who had blood tests between April 23 and June 3, 57% had antibodies that indicate they had contact with the coronavirus, the survey showed.
Municipal health authorities said the sampling was “wide enough” to be a reliable indicator of how many people were infected in Bergamo, which has become the epicenter of the Italian outbreak.
Antibodies were found in just over 30% of the 10.404 healthcare workers examined, but in general they are considered to be more at risk than other people.
In a report released in early May, national statistics institute Istat said the number of deaths in Bergamo rose 568% in March compared to the 2015-2019 average, making it the hardest-hit Italian city in terms of deaths. .
Hospitals were soon overwhelmed with infected people. And as its morgues failed to keep up with the bodies, convoys of Army trucks transporting the dead became a chilling symbol of the global pandemic.
The province of Bergamo has reported 13.609 coronavirus cases, official data showed on Monday.
Istat and the Ministry of Health launched a national blood testing campaign with the goal of examining a representative sample of around 150 people to understand the scope of the Covid-19 epidemic in the country.
By Reuters
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