Just 6 per cent of UK population has Covid-19 antibodies, SAGE says
Only six per cent of the UK’s population has antibodies to Covid-19, minutes from a Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) meeting earlier this month have revealed.
The scientific advisers told the government that just a small proportion of the country had antibodies to coronavirus in the meeting.
SAGE also informed officials that there was evidence that these levels may reduce over the preceding months, while some types of antibody may allow a transmissible amount of the virus to be present still.
“Evidence from serology studies suggest a small proportion (around 6%) of the UK population has antibodies to COVID-19,” according to the SAGE minutes from 3 September.
“There is evidence of antibody levels waning over 2-3 months (medium confidence),” it said.
“There is evidence that individuals with certain types and levels of antibody can still have significant viral load and potentially transmit the virus (high confidence).”
SAGE went on to warn that the current levels of immunity among the population would be unlikely to mitigate the impact of “a significant winter resurgence”.
More than 4,000 new coronavirus cases were confirmed on Friday – the biggest daily increase since 8 May.
The government has already introduced local lockdown measures in regions across the UK and Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned of a second wave being “inevitable”.
London mayor Sadiq Khan has also urged for restrictions to be implemented again in the capital before cases “surge out of control” as they did the first time around.