PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — About 2% of Rhode Island residents have been infected with coronavirus, with infection rates apparently higher among the state’s minority populations, according to a state Department of Health study.
The numbers aligned with prior department data that found that people of color in the state have been disproportionately affected by the disease, Dr. Philip Chan, an infectious disease consultant at the department said during a remote news conference Friday.
The state provided blood tests to 1,032 volunteers to see if they had signs of a past infection.
Overall, 2.2% had antibodies, which the body produces to fight an infection. The rates appeared higher in blacks and Latinos/Hispanics, but the numbers of people tested in those groups was small.
The numbers were unexpectedly low, but Chan credited that to the state’s “robust response” to the pandemic.
The state randomly selected 5,000 households to get the test at one of several Stop & Shop supermarket locations. More than one person from some households received a test, conducted last month.
The numbers can be used by the state to better direct resources to where they are needed most, Chan said.
The department continues to analyze the data, he said.
Serological surveys have been done in a number of states, with widely ranging findings. A survey in New York City — the epicenter of U.S. epidemic — found nearly 25% of those who participated had antibodies to the coronavirus. Some surveys in parts of California were in the range of 2% to 6%. Results can vary based on how surveys were done, how many participants were recruited, and the accuracy of the test that researchers used.
While there are always “uncertainties and biases” in such a random sampling and the study was just a snapshot in time, Chan said he was confident in the accuracy of the Rhode Island tests, which were FDA-approved and considered one of the more accurate serology tests available.
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