The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a final batch of data for 2022 that shows almost 1 in 4 adults and older teenagers in the United States still had not been infected with COVID-19 by the end of 2022.
The data also shows that, officially, 77.5% created antibodies after being infected at least once by the coronavirus.
It's a significant number of people, but a report from CIDRAP published on the University of Minnesota's website shows that while at least 42% of adults in the U.S. likely have contracted COVID-19, nearly half of them say they did not.
The data, just like much of what came from the pandemic, takes on multiple meanings and could need more time to be analyzed by experts.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that just around 54.9% of all adults believe they have ever been infected with COVID-19.
Yale study examines myocarditis risk after COVID vaccinations
Researchers wanted to know why COVID-19 vaccines might cause young men to have an increased risk of myocarditis and how to prevent the risk.
Officials with the U.S. government have often used data from official studies to estimate how soon to recommend vaccinations and boosters, while also assessing when to ease pandemic-era restrictions and balancing that need with supporting the economy.
The CDC dashboard presents data from 47 states, with Vermont reporting the lowest level of past infections at 64.4%.
Iowa reported the highest level of state residents with a previous infection at 90.6%.
The CDC said around 17% of COVID-19 hospitalizations by the end of 2022 were blamed on reinfections.
