Antibody tests suggest 2.7 million New Yorkers may have been infected with coronavirus, Cuomo says

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Thursday detailed preliminary findings from the state's first antibody testing study, saying it suggests almost three million residents may have been infected with the coronavirus.

Cuomo in his daily news briefing on Thursday discussed early results after announcing that New York's Department of Health would conduct antibody testing statewide to figure out how much of the population is immune to the novel coronavirus and what the infection rate is. The sample size for the first phase was 3,000 people, who were tested out at stores in 19 counties.

"What we found so far is the statewide number is 13.9 percent tested positive for having the antibodies," Cuomo said. "What does that mean? It means these are people who were infected and who developed the antibodies to fight the infection."

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In New York City, Cuomo said, 21.2 percent tested positive for having the antibodies. The governor noted that those who were tested were "by definition" people who were outside of their homes.

But if the state's infection rate is 13.9 percent, Cuomo said, this "changes the theories of what the death rate is," as this would mean about 2.7 million people have been infected statewide, and so based on the current death toll, this would mean the death rate is about 0.5 percent. However, Cuomo noted there are "big caveats" here: that this is preliminary data and that the death toll being used to get that number isn't accurate because deaths at home need to be added.

These numbers come after Oxiris Barbot, New York City's health commissioner, said that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the city is just "the tip of the iceberg."