Seven times as many Australians could have been infected with the coronavirus than official figures suggest, according to a new antibody study.
Research by some of the nation's most senior scientists has found that more than 60,000 cases of coronavirus in Australia could have gone undetected, potentially adding to calls to ease restrictions sooner.
The study has significant implications. If accurate, it means Australia has endured a far-higher number of infections than previously thought, without overwhelming the hospital system. Its sample size is too small to make a confident estimate about the true level of infection around Australia: only 2991 people were tested, about two-thirds of them from Victoria and NSW. Of those 2991, 41 had antibodies to COVID-19.
In the early stages of Australia's pandemic, many people were turned away from testing stations; it is estimated about 40 per cent of people with the coronavirus do not show any symptoms.The low number of overall infections "tells you the restrictions work", Professor Cockburn said. If Australia's restrictions had been less strict, there would have been more confirmed cases – but more unconfirmed cases too, stressing healthcare systems, he said.
Professor McLaws said while it was encouraging to see these low numbers of infection relative to the rest of the world, it would be great to see more testing.
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