Nearly half of Australian adults caught COVID before the latest Omicron surge

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A survey detecting COVID-19 antibodies in blood donors found 46.2 per cent of Australian adults had been infected.

Nearly half of all adults in Australia had caught COVID-19 by early June and more than a quarter of the population was infected with the virus within the previous three months alone.found 46.2 per cent of the adult population – an estimated 9.5 million people – was infected with SARS-CoV-2 before the latest Omicron wave swelled.

The survey published on Wednesday found younger people were most likely to be infected, and prevalence decreased in older age groups. Almost one-third of 18- to 29-year-olds had COVID-19 antibodies , compared with 25.7 per cent of 70- to 89 year-olds.NSW had the highest prevalence of nucleocapsid protein antibodies , followed by Queensland and Victoria . Western Australia had the lowest antibody prevalence , up from 0.5 per cent in late February.

Professor James McCaw, infectious disease epidemiologist and member of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee said COVID-19 prevalence would probably rise again when the next serosurvey – due to be conducted in early August – picks up people infected during the current BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron wave.“I don’t expect we’ll get to 100 per cent [infection prevalence], but it depends on how big this BA.4/BA.5 wave is,” McCaw said.

“Vaccination is particularly important when we know the newer sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5 are better at escaping immunity than earlier variants,” she said.“Getting our boosters when eligible, following public health advice about wearing a mask where appropriate is still really important to get us through the next few months, especially to reduce the strain on our hospitals, nurses and doctors who have worked tirelessly over the last two years with no break,” she said.

 

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