Coronavirus: US infections could be up to 24 times higher in some areas

A new study has revealed in parts of the US the true number of COVID-19 infections could be up to 24 times higher than reported.

The total number of reported COVID-19 cases in the US has topped 3.8 million but a new report has revealed the actual number is likely significantly higher in some parts of the country.

A new report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found infection rates could be six to 24 times higher in some areas.

The study focused on 10 different regions across the US and analysed the results from antibody tests taken in the areas from late March to early May.

Researchers compared the results of these tests, which show if someone has likely had the COVID-19 infection even if they were never diagnosed with it, and compared them to the rate of confirmed cases in the region.

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The study found the majority of tested areas likely had 10 times the reported infections, with some having up to 24 times the confirmed cases. Picture: Joe Raedle/Getty Images/AFP

The data revealed the reported cases “likely underestimate the prevalence of infection in affected communities”.

The CDC noted part of the disparity between the data from the antibody tests and the reported infections was likely the result of people who had mild or no symptoms and didn’t get tested.

About 40 per cent of infected people don’t develop symptoms but can still pass on the virus to others.

“Our results for each site suggest that the number of infections was much greater than the number of reported cases throughout the study period; these infections likely include asymptomatic and mild infections for which health care was not sought, as well as symptomatic infections in persons who either did not seek care or in whom SARS-CoV-2 viral testing was not performed,” the report stated.

Most of the sites included in the study show the true number of infections was likely 10 times greater than reported, according to the research.

Missouri had the highest disparity between antibody tests and confirmed infections, with the true number estimated to be 24 times higher than reported.

At the time of publication there were 33,624 confirmed cases in Missouri. If the true estimated rate of infection is correct that means there could be more than 800,000 COVID-19 cases.

Connecticut had the lowest disparity between estimated and confirmed cases, with the number of infections estimated to be six times higher than reported.

That means that the 48,055 confirmed virus cases in the state could actually be as high as 288,000.

Earlier this month, CDC Director Dr Robert Redfield said authorities likely missed around 90 per cent of infections in the early days of the pandemic.

“In the beginning, there wasn’t a lot of testing that was done of younger, asymptomatic individuals,” Dr Redfield said.

“So I think it’s important for us to realise that we probably recognised about 10 per cent of the outbreak by the methods that we used to diagnose between the March, April and May.”

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US President Donald Trump warned people the outbreak would likely worsen. Picture: Jim Watson/AFP

US President Donald Trump warned on Tuesday that the coronavirus crisis was likely to “get worse before it gets better.”

“Some areas of our country are doing very well,” he said at his first formal White House virus briefing since the end of April.

“Others are doing less well. It will probably unfortunately get worse before it gets better.”

He said there had been “a concerning rise in cases in many parts of our South”.

The President said the goal was “not merely to manage the pandemic but to end it”.

“The vaccines are coming and they’re coming a lot sooner than anyone thought possible,” he said.

Mr Trump also repeated his assertion that the virus “will disappear”.