Preliminary results from a nationwide coronavirus antibody study show that about five per cent of the overall Spanish population has been affected, the country's Health Ministry said, adding that results varied widely from region to region.

According to Reuters, the study, carried out by the Carlos III institute for health and the National Statistics Institute, began on April 27 and aimed to test 90,000 people across 36,000 households for the presence of antibodies generated to fight off the virus.