One in 10 Spaniards have had COVID-19, nationwide antibody study shows

A new study shows that one in 10 Spaniards have had COVID-19, based on antibody samples from the country.

Since the last wave, the share of Spanish population to have contracted COVID-19 has doubled to 10 per cent or 4.7 million people, according to data from a nationwide antibody study.

In the second half of November, more than 51,400 were tested in the country. The study ascertained that way more people in the country have had COVID-19 than previously thought. The study exceeds the number of confirmed cases which stand at 1.75 million.

"One in 10 people living in Spain would have been infected ..., half during the first wave and the other half during this second epidemic wave," Raquel Yotti, director of Spain's Carlos III Health Institute, which co-led the study, said.

Out of all the Spanish regions, the prevalence of COVID-19 remained the highest in Madrid, with 18.6 per cent of its population testing positive for coronavirus antibodies.

Results from a similar study that were published in July after testing 70,000 people in April-June showed a prevalence rate of over 5 per cent.

Spain continues to remain one of Europe’s hardest-hit countries by the pandemic. This is true for not only the virus, but also its economic impact.

The pandemic has killed 48,401 people in the country. Over the last 24 hours, 388 new deaths have been recorded in the country.

On Tuesday, 10,328 new cases were reported. The total in the country since the contagion began stands at 1,762,212.