Antonio Balasco/KONTROLAB/LightRocket via Getty Images A survey by the Italian government suggests 2.5% of Italy's population has coronavirus antibodies, or nearly 1.5 million people. That total is six times the confirmed COVID-19 tally of just under 250,000 cases. Nearly a third of those carrying the antibodies were asymptomatic, the survey suggested. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Just under 250,000 Italians have had confirmed cases of COVID-19, but a new survey released Monday suggests the actual tally is six times the official count. Almost 1.5 million people (1.48 million), or 2.5% of the population, likely have coronavirus antibodies, according to the survey by Italy's health ministry and statistics agency, Reuters reported.