The actual number of German residents infected with COVID-19 infection can be almost 11 times higher than official figures.
This is evidenced by the results of research at the University of Bonn.
According to a team led by medical researchers Hendrick Strick and Gunter Hartmann, about 1.8 million people living in Germany were infected with COVID-19. Official statistics today reports about 166 thousand infected. Thus, the number of infected can be 10.84 times greater.
“The results can help to further improve the models for calculating the spread of the virus. So far, the baseline data has been relatively weak”, – Gunter Hartmann commented on the results of the study.
The study was carried out by checking the analysis of blood and nasal swabs from 919 residents of the city of Heinsberg, which is on the border with the Netherlands. It was here that the highest mortality rate in Germany was recorded. Also, during the study, it turned out that every fifth infected person had no symptoms.