A Stanford University study found that far more people than previously believed have had coronavirus in Santa Clara County.
The study, released Friday, found that between 2.49 percent to 4.16 percent of Santa Clara County residents had been infected with COVID-19 as of April 1st.
The study also found that 50 to 85 times more people had COVID-19 by early April than were reported by Santa Clara County as of the same date.
Study participants were recruited using Facebook ads targeting a representative sample of the county. Blood samples were collected from 3,330 people at drive-up test sites around Santa Clara County. Those samples were then tested for antibodies to COVID-19.
The study additionally found infection rates were not nearly at the 50-percent level for “herd immunity” to infection to protect the community.
