South Korea has conducted a third round of COVID-19 antibody tests and found that men enlisted for military service had a higher rate of developing antibodies than the general public.

This means there are relatively more infections hidden among younger people in their 20s and stronger quarantine control is necessary for this demographic. 

A serology test is to verify whether a person has antibodies after being infected with COVID-19 and it serves as a measure to identify people who may have experienced the disease unknowingly.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Monday announced interim results of the third round of such tests held from August to October on 13-hundred-79 citizens.

Of this total, only three are found to have antibodies for COVID-19 and two even had neutralizing antibodies that could defend cells from pathogens and block infections. Of the three, two were imported cases.

The latest antibody rate of zero-point-07 percent, which is extremely low and similar to past tests, may well imply containment efforts are proving effective. But it also continues to confirm that achieving herd immunity in South Korea is nearly impossible. 

Meanwhile tests conducted on some 69-hundred enlisted men produced a higher antibody rate of zero-point-22 percent, with 25 individuals testing positive.