São Paulo: Private study says 41.6% of adults in the city have had Covid-19

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – In the city of São Paulo, 41.6% of residents over 18 years of age have already been infected by the novel coronavirus, according to the results of the 6th and last stage of the SoroEpi MSP study, conducted by the Fleury Group, Ibope Inteligência, Semeia Institute, and Todos pela Saúde.

According to the study, considering that the population aged over 18 in São Paulo city totals 8.4 million people, the number of people infected amounts to 3.5 million. The figure is 3.5 times higher than the city’s official number.

The study assessed seroprevalence, that is, the rate of individuals with antibodies against the virus causing Covid-19. In the preceding phase, conducted in January, the rate stood at 29.9%. This means that in less than 6 months, 1 million people have been infected.

According to researchers, there has been an increase in the prevalence of the disease among young people. Individuals aged between 35 and 44 have a seroprevalence 1.4 times higher than that observed among those aged 60 or older. In earlier phases, positive cases were more concentrated among the elderly.

With respect to schooling, individuals with up to incomplete high school education present seroprevalence 1.8 times higher than individuals with higher education. A similar phenomenon occurs in relation to race/skin color, with seroprevalence 1.4 times higher among people who declare themselves as black and mixed-race when compared to white people.

For the first time, the study found higher seroprevalence in households with more than 5 inhabitants, when compared to households with 1 or 2 inhabitants. Biologist Fernando Reinach, one of the people responsible for the project, alerts that the study suggests that the virus is being transmitted faster than the vaccination rate.

The results of Phase 6 of the study, released on Wednesday, May 19, are based on serological tests performed in adults between April 2 and May 1.

Source: Veja