More than half of Americans, including 3 in 4 kids, have survived a case of COVID-19, CDC study suggests

More than half of all Americans and around three in four children have now survived a case of COVID-19, suggest new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, following the record surge in cases driven by the Omicron variant over the winter. 

The new findings were published Tuesday in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The study's authors estimated "seroprevalence" caused by a prior infection — the presence of antibodies against the virus — based on samples gathered from thousands of routine blood draws around the country. 

Seroprevalence is significantly higher when including people who have antibodies from vaccination as well. By December, the CDC had estimated that "combined seroprevalence" between the two groups was already 95%.