How many people haven't had Covid yet?

[Potatoy]

Are there any figures on how many people in the UK haven't had covid yet? Can you get it more than once?

So that the estimated 60 million who have not had it is accurately counted here May I be added as not having had it ?
Amongst friends and family and colleagues I’d say around 10% have had it and I know of two who have died - young/middle aged fit and in one case double jabbed.
Support all.

@amicissimma

ONS was saying, based on antibody sampling, that about 1 in 7 have had it in the UK. I don't have time for a lot of Googling just now but can't find any clear reports. An organisation called Edge Heath says the number who have had it 'could be as high as 1 in 5'.

To take the middle figure, it looks as if about 5 people out of 6 haven't had it. I don't know about the 'yet' part of your question.

Interesting thanks.

Thanks, all very interesting. I keep hearing figures like 1 in x have covid but my brain couldn't work out how many haven't.

I think we had it March 2020 but no access to testing. Nothing at all since. Some people just don’t seem to catch it. We have family members where one or two in a house were ill while everyone else tested negative. Think it’s quite common. And an auntie who was very ill at home, uncle wouldn’t leave her side and still shared a bed. He never caught it despite being 85+ with underlying health conditions.

My sister is frontline medical staff working on Covid wards but she’s never caught it, confirmed with negative antibody tests. Some of her colleagues have caught it more than once, last time they’ve tested positive to the delta variant since being double vaccinated, she works with them closely in the same setting. It’s bizarre but lots of people are exposed but don’t catch it anyway.

Not that I know of. Never had any of the classic symptoms. If I could afford an antibody test, I would take one to satisfy my curiosity though.

@AbstractEim

I think we had it March 2020 but no access to testing. Nothing at all since. Some people just don’t seem to catch it. We have family members where one or two in a house were ill while everyone else tested negative. Think it’s quite common. And an auntie who was very ill at home, uncle wouldn’t leave her side and still shared a bed. He never caught it despite being 85+ with underlying health conditions.

My sister is frontline medical staff working on Covid wards but she’s never caught it, confirmed with negative antibody tests. Some of her colleagues have caught it more than once, last time they’ve tested positive to the delta variant since being double vaccinated, she works with them closely in the same setting. It’s bizarre but lots of people are exposed but don’t catch it anyway.

I know someone (who doesn't have a sister!) who is also frontline staff, worked on Covid wards, and hasn't had Covid or tested positive for antibodies. It's so strange. I do wonder if she had it early on and her antibodies had diminished before they were tested for last summer, but now her colleagues are testing positive again after initial infections at Christmas it's even stranger that she hasn't had it.

We’ve not had it to the best of our knowledge and I still don’t know anyone personally that has had it. But cases are very low in our little rural area.
I am in no way dismissive or complacent by the way. But we’ve been able to steer clear to date.

Most of my friends and family haven’t had it, and we all live in areas that have had sky high rates at various points.

Estimated vary but the best guess is around 20% of the population have had it.

So the vast majority have not.

The Guardian reported a study based on antibody testing and fatality ratios just before Xmas which suggested that 20% of the UK population had had it then. That was before the January wave and recent wave. You would therefore expect the current figure to be very much higher though I haven’t read anything recent. There seems to be a fair amount of variation in estimates and we’ll probably never know exactly.

The positive test numbers are only going to represent a fraction of actual positive cases as around 30% of people are asymptotic, many more have symptoms but not ones which would entitle them to a test, some choose not to test (not necessarily avoiding isolation but e.g not testing young children) and there was a period in which symptomatic people couldn’t get a test.

I’ve seen the bmj make the assumption that around 1 in 3 to 4 people who get covid actually get a positive test. May be a little higher now given that a lot of people are doing regular lateral flow tests. If that was right around 30% of the population would have had it, which seems plausible given positive antibody rates throughout the last year.

I know personally 7 people who have had it. That it nothing more.

I haven't and other than my gran who had no symptoms (tested positive after an outbreak in care home) I don't really know anyone who has had it just friend of a friend sort of thing. Neither of my children have had to isolate either. I think the school have only had 2 cases and 1 in the nursery. I realise I've probably jinxed myself now

I haven't.
Family & friends think I'm invincible as we live in an area with consistently high rates and I work (mask less!) in a risky profession.
Have had regular antibody tests which have always been negative - maybe I had it pre testing being available and didn't have symptoms?!

@TheReluctantPhoenix

Estimated vary but the best guess is around 20% of the population have had it.

So the vast majority have not.

20% is less than I thought with all the deaths. It's hard to get my head around the big numbers but % and 1 in x stats seem to sink in a bit more easily.

I haven't had it and neither have any of my immediate family, to the best of our knowledge. I'm quite surprised really as i work in health care and have had to isolate twice due to close contact with confirmed cases outside work.

Also have a teenager at sixth form and we all use public transport. I wonder if I'm immune.

I know lots of people who have had it though. Funnily enough I know more who have had it since being vaccinated than before

No one in my family has had it. All my colleagues have had it. I've been exposed many times and never tested positive.

It’s bizarre but lots of people are exposed but don’t catch it anyway.

My theory is pre existing t cell immunity due to exposure to similar viruses. Circulating antibodies are only partly responsible for protection against viruses. I reckon it's why 1 in 3 have no symptoms.

Me, DH, DD1, DD2, DDs boyfriends, DM, DSis, neighbours both sides, everyone I work with....

I don't personally know anyone who's had it.

60 million, give or take.

because some of us are not (and have never) testing and if we feel ill it is probably old age or a cold

I know of two people who have had it (mildly), I have been out and about since day 1, volunteering with very vulnerable people so 'allowed to be out', have not been over cautious at all, work in retail, only wear a mask when I absolutely have to, DS is a Uni student in a city that was rife with Covid but didn't catch it or bring it home ... have very elderly parents who were also out about and in and out of hospital yet none of us have caught it

I haven’t had it.
Had the antibody test which was negative, and was double vaxxed in January.
Have spent the pandemic working in care homes and in the hospital (mental health community not ward) but on and off the MH ward and into peoples houses, including positive patients. Right at the beginning I just assumed we would get it, both key workers and DS at school, but nope.

I've had it but only know because I've had positive antibody tests (September 2020 and this June). I had some very mild symptoms in March 2020 but wouldn't have even called in sick to work if I wasn't being bullied and wanted time off. No test then obviously.

20% is less than I thought with all the deaths. It's hard to get my head around the big numbers but % and 1 in x stats seem to sink in a bit more easily.

Why would 20% be less than you thought, the current positive tests carried out is around 6.1 million, the population of UK is around 67-68 million so currently cases is Less than 10%, take into account cases more than once and cases before it, between 10 and 20% so majority have not had it.

I imagine quite a few people had it before widespread testing was available, and also people who have chosen not to test . And unless you are doing regular LFTs then a lot of people will also have had it with no symptoms and so be completely unaware.

Thinking about people I know, only a few of my friends have had it (ages 40/50/60s), most of our DC who are late teens/20s have had it, but not the younger school age children.