Immunity of PNG people to Covid-19 only 3pc: Committee

THE National Operation Centre’s medical and scientific advisory committee says the immunity of Papua New Guineans to the Covid-19 is only 3 per cent.
Committee chairperson Dr Evelyn Lavu, the director of the central public health laboratory said the 3 per cent was very low.
“We did approximately 2,000 tests, and the results are not completed yet. But the exposure to Covid-19 in PNG as a whole is very low,” she said.
“The antibody levels of people is not very high which is within the range of 2 to 3 per cent.” She said if we were to determine, if we were protected, the level would be up to 80 per cent.
She said the full results should be out this week.
“The country should (then) have a fair idea,” she said.
The committee said last month they were to start with antibody testing to show whether a person has had past exposure to the virus that caused the Covid-19. It will determine whether PNG has Covid-19 and if the people have developed immunity to it.