New York: In a revealing report, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated that three out of every four children in the US have been infected with coronavirus.
The study also found that more than half of all Americans had signs of previous infections, reported AP.
The researchers examined blood samples of over 200,000 Americans and looked for virus-fighting antibodies made from infections, not vaccines.
It was found that signs of past infection rose significantly between December and February, suggesting that the highly transmissible Omicron variant was the cause.
About 34% of Americans of all ages had signs of prior infection in December. Two months later, it was found to be 58%.
“I did expect it to increase but not this much,” said Dr Kristie Clarke of CDC.
But it was the rise in infection among children that was most striking in the CDC report. The percentage of those with antibodies under 17 years of rose from about 45% in December to 75% in February.
Interestingly, the news came at a time when Pfizer sought permission to offer booster dose to kids aged 5-11 years.
