The Academy of Sciences of Albania said today that 50% of Tirana’s population has COVID-19 antibodies, while in the rest of the country that number is 25%. The high percentage in Tirana means that half of the population has already been in contact with the virus, and have been immunized in a natural way as a result. The results were presented after the conclusion of the second phase of the study on the immunity of the population in relation to COVID-19, made during the period from June to December.
“In Tirana the immunity is 50%, but the general population has still the potential to circulate the virus. It is good news that the capital has achieved that immunity, but there are no reasons to celebrate,” said prof. Alban Ylli, one of the academics presenting the study. The Academy of Sciences has followed the pandemic spread in Tirana and across the country since the beginning. During the period from May to July, the Academy declared that from 6 to 7% of Tirana’s population had COVID-19, a number much higher than what was previously thought.
The Academy monitors the level of the acquired immunity through serological tests performed by the immunologists. Meanwhile, according to the Ministry of Health, 257,879 of tests have been made in Albania since the start of the pandemic, with a toll of 57,146 of positive cases. In total 1,170 people have lost their battle with COVID-19 in Albania since the beginning of the pandemic. The actual positive cases are 32,700.
