Italy was once the hardest-hit country by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The country has witnessed 35,166 deaths in total, and has confirmed over 248,000 cases of COVID-19 so far. An additional 201,000 have recovered.

Given this whopping number, authorities undertook the mammoth task of create a post-peak database of antibodies.

Turns out, only 2.5 per cent of Italians, or 1,482,000 people showed traces of coronavirus antibodies, even despite being one of the hardest-hit countries in the world at one point.

Lombardy takes the lead

The national survey released on Monday revealed how Lombardy, which was once the worst-hit region in the country reported the most number of people with antibodies against the virus. Over 7.5 per cent of the total antibodies were reported here.

On the other hand, the two major islands – Sicily and Sardinia had the lowest number of reported antibodies – 0.3 per cent of the population.

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“The different results of the survey in the country’s territory are very relevant. This means that the tough and rigorous measure adopted by the central and regionals governments, and the correct behavior of the Italian people avoided a more massive spread of the virus,” Minister of Health Roberto Speranza said during while addressing the media on Monday. 

The survey also reveals more information about coronavirus and its transmission. Over a third of those who tested positive for antibodies remained asymptomatic throughout the course of their illness and may have been the major contributors to the number of infections.

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Most cases of infection (over 41.7 per cent came from relatives living in the same house).

Six times higher than during peak

According to Linda Laura Sabbadini, the director of the National Institute For Statistics, the current number of people with antibodies is over six times higher than it was during the virus’ peak in the country in March.

As part of the survey, which was done in collaboration with the Italian Red Cross between May 25 and July 15, over 64,660 blood samples were tested. Over 2,000 villages and cities across the country were divided based on sex, occupation, and age groups to map out a better database.

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However, the survey did not account for people who live in health care facilities.

Earlier in May, the government had claimed that the survey would include 150,000 people. Sabbadini however explained how “the health emergency made the survey procedure more complicated”, but it still remained “an incredibly useful source of data”.