re: MLB Tests Over 5,000 Employees for Coronavirus Antibodies for Study, 0.7% Tested Positive

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MLB Tests Over 5,000 Employees for Coronavirus Antibodies for Study, 0.7% Tested Positive

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26 of 30 teams participated, so this is by far one of the most geographically diverse studies that I have seen. We can back of the envelope test these numbers to produce an IFR of 3.5%. So right off the bat, we know that this sample, while geographically diverse, isn't representative of the general population. The pre-print says that they did correct for potential issues with the test they used and they say that they expected a much higher number.

The latest pre-prints that I have seen put the IFR b/w 0.5 - 1.5%, so that puts us around 3.5% of the population having been impacted. So this study is certainly an outlier.

A couple of possibilities for this study, the majority of the people who participated are located in areas that haven't been heavily impacted? Did the Yankees and Mets not participate? MLB shutdown pretty early and the employees that participated in this study may have taken COVID-19 serious, since the beginning. and practiced social distancing ahead of the general population? Employees that participated are higher income and already enjoyed some advantages such as not living in cramped quarters, not using mass transit, etc?