The Albanian Academy of Sciences, the country’s highest scientific authority, has found that half of the population in Tirana is immune to Covid-19.
Academy members Genc Sulçebe and Alban Ylli announced that their study showed that in total only 25 percent of the Albanian population has already been infected with Covid-19, but this figure was found to be 50 percent in Tirana.
“The sampling this time included 817 individuals, who statistically represent the sample population of these neighborhoods covering 258 thousand inhabitants. In 812 individuals tested, 405 individuals tested positive for antibodies, 49.6 percent,” Sulçebe stated.
The World Health Organization states that in most countries, less than 10% of the population have been infected with the virus.
Starting with 50 percent of a population being immune from a virus, that population has either reached herd immunity or is close to achieving it, according to John Hopkins University.
However, the members of the Albanian Academy of Science were cautious during their press conference on Wednesday, when they presented the results of their scientific study. They advised the population to still follow government guidelines on hygiene and social distancing.
