Nearly 4 out every 5 children have evidence of a SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to CDC estimates.
The data is part of an ongoing national lab survey the CDC started in March to test for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in commercial lab samples. More than 26,000 lab samples have been tested to show a 79.7 percent prevalence rate, indicating 56,977,000 children have had at least one COVID-19 infection.
The study only researches the detection of antibodies; the antibody percentage, which would indicate someone's level of protection against infection, is not calculated.
Among the young population, the age groups demonstrated similar antibody levels. Children 5 to 11 years old were the age group with the highest prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, with an 82.5 percent prevalence rate in tested samples. Infants between 6 months and 4 years old accounted for a 74 percent prevalence rate.