BOSTON
- Friday, May 15, 2020 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh, together with Massachusetts
General Hospital (MGH), and the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC),
today announced the study to evaluate community exposure to COVID-19
through a representative sampling of asymptomatic Boston residents resulted
in 9.9% testing positive for antibodies and 2.6% of currently asymptomatic
individuals testing positive for COVID-19. In conclusion, approximately 1
in 10 residents in this study have developed antibodies and approximately 1
in 40 currently asymptomatic individuals are positive for COVID-19 and
potentially infectious.
"We
can draw two preliminary conclusions from the results of this study,"
said Mayor Walsh. "First, that the actions we took early on in this
pandemic made a real difference in slowing the spread and, second, that the
majority of our population still have not been exposed to the virus. This
underscores what we already know, that we have to move cautiously and stay
focused on what got us this far. This can be done by a gradual, phased-in
approach to reopening that includes clear health criteria and safety guidelines
for each industry and depends on testing and hospital metrics reaching
certain benchmarks, and continuing to move in the right
direction."
More
than 5,000 residents living in East Boston, Roslindale or within the
boundaries of zip codes 02121 and 02125 in Dorchester were invited to
voluntarily participate in the study, with total outreach representing more
than 55% people of color. Approximately 1,000 residents expressed interest
in participating and 786 residents were deemed eligible. Of those, 750
residents enrolled in the study and received the required testing.
Residents with symptoms or a previously positive COVID-19 test were
disqualified from the study.
Baseline
demographics of the 750 participants:
- Median age is 42.4 years old
- 61.6% are female, 38.3% male
- 36.8% are from Roslindale,
25.1% are from East Boston, 23.2% are from 02125 in Dorchester and
14.9% are from 02121 in Dorchester
- 62% are white, 18.7% are
Black/African-American, 12% are Latinx/Hispanic, 2.3% are
Asian/Pacific Islander and .13% are American Indian/Alaska Native.
1.6% preferred not to say and 1.6% are unknown. There were no
significant differences in COVID-19 or antibody rates by race or
ethnicity in this sample.
Prevalence
of COVID-19 positivity in currently asymptomatic individuals ranged from
1.1% to 4.6%, while antibody positivity ranged from 6.3% to 13.3% by zip
code.
- East Boston: 1.1% tested
positive for COVID-19, 13.3% tested positive for antibodies
- Roslindale: 2.2% tested
positive for COVID-19, 7.6% tested positive for antibodies
- 02121 in Dorchester: 2.7%
tested positive for COVID-19, 6.3% tested positive for antibodies
- 02125 in Dorchester: 4.6%
tested positive for COVID-19, 12.1% tested positive for antibodies
"Making
sound decisions about safely reopening requires that we understand how
extensively the virus has already spread in our community," said Peter
L. Slavin, MD, president of Massachusetts General Hospital. "The
testing that the teams from Boston and the MGH conducted shows that
approximately 90 percent of the city's residents have not yet been exposed
to the virus. We also know that COVID-19 will be with us for a while. It is
vital therefore that we be thoughtful and careful about reopening, and that
we continue to take actions - wearing masks, physical distancing, working
from home when possible, limiting gatherings - that can prevent another
surge of the disease."
Testing
was conducted at three drive through testing sites in East Boston,
Roslindale and Dorchester. Testing for COVID-19 virus is done by means of a
swab of the nose and determines if you have the infection. Antibody testing
is done by means of blood drawn through a finger prick and detects whether
your blood has antibodies that are present when the body is responding to
an infection, like COVID-19. Any resident who tested positive for the
COVID-19 virus or the COVID-19 antibodies was provided with clear guidance
and information on how to care for themselves and those around them.
This
announcement builds on Mayor Walsh's commitment to increase access to
testing for Boston residents, which will allow for better understanding of
the spread and inform a path to recovery. Boston is currently offering testing
in over 20 locations, including hospitals and community health centers.
During April 30 and May 7 alone, Boston had a 30 percent increase in the
amount of testing happening citywide. By the end of last week a total of
36,072 tests had been conducted.
On
Monday, Mayor Walsh announced that the City's first round of universal
testing for all unhoused individuals in Boston was completed. Over
2,200 homeless individuals were tested, with 743 testing positive for a 32%
infection rate. In addition, Mayor Walsh is working on universal testing at
city substance use residential programs.
Through
the Boston
Resiliency Fund, the City has dedicated $1.24 million to expand
COVID-19 testing and conduct culturally appropriate outreach and education
at 17 community health centers in Boston neighborhoods. A full map of
testing sites is available
here. The map includes contact information for the testing site and it
is updated as new sites come online. Residents who are sick and want to be
tested should call ahead to be pre-screened and schedule an appointment.
Residents will not be charged for testing and residents will not be asked
about immigration status.
In
addition, the City of Boston has made available weekly data on testing at
the neighborhood level, with new reports including the number of people
tested, and positive testing rates for each neighborhood. The latest data
was shared on Thursday, May 7 and can be found
here.
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