This archive report was first published on 3 July 2020.
Published on July 3, 2020, a study by Kemri-Wellcome Trust has shed light on the extent of coronavirus exposure in Kenya.
Using blood donor samples from across the country, researchers estimated that 2.6 million Kenyans may have been exposed to the virus, with the highest prevalence in Nairobi and Rift Valley regions.
The study found that the estimated prevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 ranged from 1.1% in Uasin Gishu County to 12.4% in Nairobi City County.
According to the report, the large numbers of the population that have been exposed would lead models to predict significant numbers of severe cases and deaths.
However, the county hospitals in which monitoring for pneumonia admissions is established are not seeing high numbers of admissions.
The report estimated that the likely deaths across the country would be at 6,684 with 26,093 more people experiencing the severe disease.
