The BBC reports that the coronavirus, contrary to what had previously been believed, had already infected 1.3 million Kenyans by June. The finding had been made by the Kenya Medical and Research Institute.

National blood donations given between May and June were analyzed and showed that that more than 4% of people had antibodies. According to the scientists involved, this is is a sign of having contracted, and recovered from, a coronavirus infection.

The BBC reports that more than 3000 people had given blood over a period of six weeks at the beginning of the pandemic, none of whom had displayed any symptoms of the virus. Their blood samples which were then analyzed by scientists at Kemri, revealed more than one in 25 had already been infected with the virus, and had recovered. Further, in the capital, Nairobi, and in Mombasa, 1 in just 12 were found to have been infected and recovered.

According to researchers, the finding means that Kenya most likely reached its first peak far earlier than had been thought. The BBC, meanwhile, reports that this is the first accurate picture of the pandemic in Kenya.

Umm Muhammed Umar