Dataset Information

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in German secondary schools from October 2020 to July 2021: a longitudinal study.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To quantify the number of SARS-CoV-2 infections in students and teachers in 14 Secondary schools in eastern Saxony, Germany. Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in study population. Number of undetected cases.

Methods

Serial seroprevalence study.

Results

The role of educational settings in the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic is still controversial. Seroprevalence increases from 0.8 to 5.9% from October to December when schools remained open and to 12.2% in March/April during a strict lockdown with closed schools. The ratio of undetected to detected cases decreased from 0.76 to 0.44 during the study period.

Conclusion

During the second and third wave of the pandemic in Germany, students and teachers are not overrepresented in SARS-CoV-2 infections. The percentage of undetected cases is moderate and decreases over time. The risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 within the household is higher than contracting it in educational settings making school closures rather ineffective in terms of pandemic control measures or individual risk reduction in children and adolescents.

Trial registration

DRKS00022455 (July 23rd, 2020).

SUBMITTER: Kirsten C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9034260 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in German secondary schools from October 2020 to July 2021: a longitudinal study.

Kirsten Carolin C Kahre Elisabeth E Blankenburg Judith J Schumm Leonie L Haag Luise L Galow Lukas L Unrath Manja M Czyborra Paula P Schneider Josephine J Lück Christian C Dalpke Alexander H AH Berner Reinhard R Armann Jakob J

Infection 20220423 6

<h4>Purpose</h4>To quantify the number of SARS-CoV-2 infections in students and teachers in 14 Secondary schools in eastern Saxony, Germany. Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in study population. Number of undetected cases.<h4>Methods</h4>Serial seroprevalence study.<h4>Results</h4>The role of educational settings in the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic is still controversial. Seroprevalence increases from 0.8 to 5.9% from October to December when schools remained open and to 12.2% in March/April durin ...[more]

PMID: 35460495

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Project description:BackgroundBy August 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic has been less severe in sub-Saharan Africa than elsewhere. In Malawi, there have been three subsequent epidemic waves. We therefore aimed to describe the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in Malawi.MethodsWe measured the seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies amongst randomly selected blood transfusion donor sera in Malawi from January 2020 to July 2021 using a cross-sectional study design. In a subset, we also assessed in vitro neutralisation against the original variant (D614G WT) and the Beta variant.ResultsA total of 5085 samples were selected from the blood donor database, of which 4075 (80.1%) were aged 20-49 years. Of the total, 1401 were seropositive. After adjustment for assay characteristics and applying population weights, seropositivity reached peaks in October 2020 (18.5%) and May 2021 (64.9%) reflecting the first two epidemic waves. Unlike the first wave, both urban and rural areas had high seropositivity in the second wave, Balaka (rural, 66.2%, April 2021), Blantyre (urban, 75.6%, May 2021), Lilongwe (urban, 78.0%, May 2021), and Mzuzu (urban, 74.6%, April 2021). Blantyre and Mzuzu also show indications of the start of a third pandemic wave with seroprevalence picking up again in July 2021 (Blantyre, 81.7%; Mzuzu, 71.0%). More first wave sera showed in vitro neutralisation activity against the original variant (78% [7/9]) than the beta variant (22% [2/9]), while more second wave sera showed neutralisation activity against the beta variant (75% [12/16]) than the original variant (63% [10/16]).ConclusionThe findings confirm extensive SARS-CoV-2 exposure in Malawi over two epidemic waves with likely poor cross-protection to reinfection from the first on the second wave. The dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 exposure will therefore need to be taken into account in the formulation of the COVID-19 vaccination policy in Malawi and across the region. Future studies should use an adequate sample size for the assessment of neutralisation activity across a panel of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern/interest to estimate community immunity.

Dataset Information

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in German secondary schools from October 2020 to July 2021: a longitudinal study.

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Trial registration

Publications

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in German secondary schools from October 2020 to July 2021: a longitudinal study.

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