COVID-19 antibodies are present in 98.1 per cent of Canadians: Statistics Canada survey

A large-scale survey of Canadian adults selected at random across all 10 provinces found that virtually the entire population had antibodies against the virus that causes COVID-19 by summer 2022.

Some 98.1 per cent had detectable antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, either through vaccination, a past infection, or both, according to the survey from Statistics Canada and partners.

Over half, 53.9 per cent, had antibodies indicating they had been infected at some point during the pandemic — which translates to 16.4 million adults having caught COVID, whether they realized it or not. And that number might actually be higher because antibodies usually wane over time and can become undetectable through blood testing.

It’s more than 20 times the rate of infection indicated by a similar survey conducted between late 2020 and April 2021. At that point, just 2.6 per cent of Canadian adults had a past infection.