First Omicron wave was really twice the size of recorded cases, study says | marywardy lucy_carroll
The number of COVID-19 infections in Australia was likely at least twice what was reported among adults during the first major Omicron wave, with Queensland recording the highest rate of any state.
Twenty-three per cent of Victorian samples and 21 per cent of NSW samples showed antibodies gained by a prior infection. Western Australia was the outlier, with only 0.5 per cent of samples suggesting a prior case, as the state kept its borders shut until early March.
Ninety-eight per cent of samples surveyed had the types of antibodies gained from prior infection or vaccination. “We knew we were only catching a fraction of the cases [in Queensland],” he said, adding that the state had a high test positivity rate over its Omicron wave, struggled with PCR testing capacity and, like other states, been slow to provide a way for the public to report rapid antigen test results.
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