Slovenia has successfully carried out a nationwide survey on the prevalence of the new coronavirus in the population with the assistance of three University of Ljubljana faculties. This is one of the first surveys of this type conducted in the world. The key role was played by the University of Ljubljana’s Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Computer and Information Science and Faculty of Social Sciences. The survey showed with 95% certainty that 2 to 4% of the Slovenian population has been infected with the coronavirus.

The survey on the prevalence of COVID-19 will run for six months – only the first phase has so far been completed. The survey provided answers to the following questions: how many people in Slovenia are currently actively infected with SARS-CoV-2, how many of them are asymptomatic and do not even know they are infected, and how many have come in contact with SARS-CoV-2 and have already recovered from COVID-19.

Among the 1,368 people tested, 41 had antibodies in their blood samples. The survey thus showed with 95% certainty that 2 to 4% of the Slovenian population has been infected with the coronavirus.

All the participants, from whom nasal-throat swabs and blood samples were collected during the first phase of the survey, will be monitored for the next six months. Researchers will call them every two weeks to check on their health status. If they show symptoms of infection, they will be immediately tested. All participants will be tested again in October.

The success of the first phase of the survey has been thanks to approximately 150 employees at the University of Ljubljana, most of whom from the Institute of Microbiology and Immunology of the University of Ljubljana’s Faculty of Medicine. They were in charge of the survey design, management and coordination, direct communication with the respondents, field work (collecting samples and completing questionnaires), laboratory testing of samples and analysis of test results. IT support, database development, online solutions and data analytics were provided for in record time by the Ljubljana Faculty of Computer and Information Science. In turn, the Ljubljana Faculty of Social Sciences provided advice on the methodology used. Also participating in the survey were the Ljubljana University Medical Centre, the University of Maribor Faculty of Medicine and Reševalna služba Pacient d.o.o.