Herd immunity to Covid-19 already reached in parts of NYC

A report in the NY Times suggests that in some areas of New York, herd immunity to Covid-19 might already have been reached.

The report, quoted in the Telegraph, shows that almost 70% of those tested for coronavirus antibodies in Queens and 56% of those tested in Jackson Heights had positive results. By comparison, the Italian province of Bergamo, which was extremely hard-hit by the epidemic, recorded just 57% immunity, and the Austrian ski resort of Ischgl, thought to be the "European epicenter" of the virus, recorded 47%.

Virologists cautioned, however, that the results might not be replicated in other parts of the population, as the testing was carried out at urgent care centers. In addition, the high immunity rates were seen in lower income areas of the city where minorities are concentrated, which bears out previous findings that such communities have suffered disproportionately from the epidemic.

Nearly 23,000 people have died of coronavirus-related complications in New York city alone, and around 222,000 people have tested positive for the virus.