In a new survey from the COVID States Project, scientists found that nearly half of American adults reported having been infected with COVID-19 at least once, with 35% saying they have tested positive more than once.
The report also showed that a substantial majority of Americans have not yet received the latest bivalent booster shot.
It sheds light on the state of vaccinations and ongoing health risks at a time when the nation is experiencing a “tripledemic” with flu, COVID-19 and the respiratory illness RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) circulating among Americans.
The survey surveyed 26,161 American adults across all 50 states between Oct. 6 and Nov. 9. This is the 96th survey conducted by the consortium since the project launched in March 2020.
The team found that the rate of COVID-19 infections is vastly underreported, with about 48% of all positive cases not reflected in official data.
Among the survey respondents who tested positive for COVID-19 during the past three months, 76% used an at-home or rapid test.
Among those who tested positive, just 36% followed up with a test at their doctor’s office or a testing facility (92% of whom tested positive again there), compared to 63% who did not.
The team found unvaccinated people were more likely to say they have never taken an at-home test for COVID-19, further suggesting that infections among the unvaccinated may also be going unreported.
The survey also highlights the difference in the severity of symptoms for individuals who are unvaccinated versus those who are vaccinated.
Among people who reported having COVID-19 in the past six months, 43% of unvaccinated individuals classified their illness as severe compared to 30% of those with two or more booster shots.
The average duration of symptoms was nearly nine days for those who reported having COVID-19 in the past six months. Those who were vaccinated and boosted, however, report being sick on fewer days than unvaccinated individuals.
The most common symptoms for those with acute or long COVID-19 were fatigue (51%), shortness of breath (38%) and cough (36%).
And one in nine adults reported symptoms continuing two months beyond their initial, or latest, infection.
The team also found despite the efficacy of COVID vaccinations and boosters, a substantial majority of American adults have not received the bivalent booster shot, although a majority of those said they plan to or are open to getting the shot.
If you care about COVID, please read studies about which COVID vaccine you get could affect your heart inflammation risk, and Vitamin D level could determine COVID-19 severity.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about causes of most major cancers, and results showing mounting evidence that herpes virus is a cause of Alzheimer’s disease.
The study was conducted by James Druckman et al.
Copyright © 2022 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
