Starting This Month, Nationwide Survey of Antibody Positivity Rate Among 10,000 People... Confirming the Scale of Natural Infection (Update)

Selection of Subjects Aged 5 and Over by Statistical Sampling

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The government will launch a large-scale COVID-19 antibody survey starting this month. The plan is to use the data on the scale of infections spread in the community, including natural infections, as a basis for establishing future quarantine policies.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's National Institute of Infectious Diseases announced on the 17th, "To accurately determine the scale of natural infections in the community and assess the risk of outbreaks, a large-scale antibody survey will commence in May."

The antibody positivity rate survey will target residents aged 5 and older across 17 cities and provinces nationwide, considering region, age, and prevalence, with 10,000 people surveyed quarterly.

Participants will be selected through statistical sampling and can participate voluntarily by consenting via mail. Selected participants will either visit local medical institutions or have surveyors visit their homes for blood collection, followed by antibody testing and questionnaire surveys.

The antibody test detects COVID-19 specific antibodies from the collected serum to confirm infection status. Depending on the detected antigens, it is also possible to distinguish antibodies resulting from natural infection or vaccination.

Lee Sang-won, head of the Epidemiological Investigation and Analysis Division at the Central Disease Control Headquarters, explained, "Knowing the proportion of people who have gone through infections that we were unaware of through antibody surveys is a very important factor in future vaccine policies and outbreak predictions. Also, understanding how long these antibody levels are maintained will help determine future vaccination plans and timing."

The KDCA stated, "The antibody test aims to secure scientific evidence for quarantine measures and vaccination policy establishment in response to the emergence and spread of new variant viruses following the Omicron wave," and requested "active cooperation and participation from those selected as participants."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.