Denmark study estimates up to 1.8% of its population has had the virus

A Danish government agency that maps the spread of the coronavirus in Denmark said between 0.5 per cent and 1.8 per cent of the country's 5.8 million people have had the COVID-19 infection, according to early results.

Statens Serum Institut, or SSI, said the figures, based on 2,600 people that were randomly chosen in Denmark's five cities and who were given the anti-body tests, must be interpreted with great caution.

Furthermore, whether the figures can be transmitted to the entire Danish population can also be influenced by whether groups with different patterns of infection choose or not choose to accept the offer to be tested, said Steen Ethelberg who heads the project group behind the SSI study.

He added that the results were the first part of the gradual roll-out of the study and more results are expected in the coming weeks.

He said to get a full picture, 6,000 people have to be tested to achieve the desired precision across the country.

Danish media, citing an SSI report distributed to lawmakers only, have speculated that the virus' strength might be decreasing.

Denmark ordered a lockdown March 11 and has in recent weeks slowly opened up society with museums and cinemas reopening, and hospitals winding down their coronavirus units.