WHO Director Says Even in Worst-Affected Areas, Only About 20 Percent of Population Has Coronavirus Antibodies

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday that even in the hardest-hit areas, only about 20 percent of the population has coronavirus antibodies.

"Early serology studies are painting a consistent picture: Even in the worst-affected regions, the proportion of the population with the telltale antibodies is no more than 20 percent," Ghebreyesus said. "And in most places, less than 10 percent."

His comments come as the novel coronavirus, which causes the respiratory disease COVID-19, continues to spread throughout the world. According to a Johns Hopkins University tracker, over 4.7 million individuals are infected worldwide, and at least 316,898 have died.

"In other words, the majority of the world's population remains susceptible to this virus," Ghebreyesus added. "The risk remains high, and we have a long road to travel."

With the pandemic showing no signs of ending, antibody tests have come under increased scrutiny. According to the Mayo Clinic, the tests indicate if a person was likely infected with the virus in the past. "It may also mean you have some immunity," the Minnesota medical center writes.

Despite Ghebreyesus' suggestion that a majority of the world's population is still susceptible to the virus, a number of countries and U.S. states have begun to ease lockdown restrictions and reopen their economies.

Some U.S. states have begun conducting antibody tests to get a sense of what percentage of a community's population was exposed to the virus. But several prominent health organizations, including the WHO, have questioned the tests' accuracy.

On April 17, the WHO issued a warning saying that a positive antibody test does not mean a person is immune to the virus.

"These antibody tests will be able to measure that level of serology presence, that level of antibodies, but that does not mean that somebody with antibodies is immune," said Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of the WHO's emerging diseases and zoonosis unit. "Right now, we have no evidence that the use of a serological test can show that an individual is immune or protected from reinfection."

The American Medical Association (AMA) has also recently issued a warning about the accuracy of antibody tests.

"Given that we do not yet have scientific evidence showing if, when and for how long individuals might become immune to COVID-19, physicians and the general public should not use antibody testing to consider anyone immune to the disease," AMA President Patrice Harris said in a statement. "Doing so may lead individuals to falsely assume they can stop physical distancing and further the spread of illness."