The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that more than half the US population has been infected with the coronavirus, NPR reports.
The analysis found that nearly 60 percent of the population had at one point been infected with SARS-CoV-2 by February 2022 — about twice the portion reported in December 2020, the New York Times reports, adding that the increase appears due to the Omicron wave. "By February 2022, evidence of previous COVID-19 infections substantially increased among every age group," Kristie Clarke, the CDC researcher who led the study, said at a news briefing, according to the Times.
NPR adds that that portion is even higher for children, as nearly 75 percent of children 11 years old or younger now have SARS-CoV-2 antibodies stemming from an infection, rather than vaccination. The Times notes most children now having some immunity may assuage some parents' concerns about the lack of a vaccine for young children, though Clarke still urged that children be vaccinated when they are eligible, even if they already have some immunity.
Adults aged 65 years or older, meanwhile, had the smallest increase, the Times says. It notes that this could be due to this age group generally taking more precautions against COVID-19 than others.