학술논문
Estimates of protection levels against SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 in Germany before the 2022/2023 winter season: the IMMUNEBRIDGE project
Document Type
Original Paper
Author
Lange, Berit; Jaeger, Veronika K.; Harries, Manuela; Rücker, Viktoria; Streeck, Hendrik; Blaschke, Sabine; Petersmann, Astrid; Toepfner, Nicole; Nauck, Matthias; Hassenstein, Max J.; Dreier, Maren; von Holt, Isabell; Budde, Axel; Bartz, Antonia; Ortmann, Julia; Kurosinski, Marc-André; Berner, Reinhard; Borsche, Max; Brandhorst, Gunnar; Brinkmann, Melanie; Budde, Kathrin; Deckena, Marek; Engels, Geraldine; Fenzlaff, Marc; Härtel, Christoph; Hovardovska, Olga; Katalinic, Alexander; Kehl, Katja; Kohls, Mirjam; Krüger, Stefan; Lieb, Wolfgang; Meyer-Schlinkmann, Kristin M.; Pischon, Tobias; Rosenkranz, Daniel; Rübsamen, Nicole; Rupp, Jan; Schäfer, Christian; Schattschneider, Mario; Schlegtendal, Anne; Schlinkert, Simon; Schmidbauer, Lena; Schulze-Wundling, Kai; Störk, Stefan; Tiemann, Carsten; Völzke, Henry; Winter, Theresa; Klein, Christine; Liese, Johannes; Brinkmann, Folke; Ottensmeyer, Patrick F.; Reese, Jens-Peter; Heuschmann, Peter; Karch, André
Source
Infection: A Journal of Infectious Diseases. 52(1):139-153
Subject
Language
English
ISSN
0300-8126
1439-0973
1439-0973
Abstract
Purpose: Despite the need to generate valid and reliable estimates of protection levels against SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe course of COVID-19 for the German population in summer 2022, there was a lack of systematically collected population-based data allowing for the assessment of the protection level in real time.Methods: In the IMMUNEBRIDGE project, we harmonised data and biosamples for nine population-/hospital-based studies (total number of participants n = 33,637) to provide estimates for protection levels against SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 between June and November 2022. Based on evidence synthesis, we formed a combined endpoint of protection levels based on the number of self-reported infections/vaccinations in combination with nucleocapsid/spike antibody responses (“confirmed exposures”). Four confirmed exposures represented the highest protection level, and no exposure represented the lowest.Results: Most participants were seropositive against the spike antigen; 37% of the participants ≥ 79 years had less than four confirmed exposures (highest level of protection) and 5% less than three. In the subgroup of participants with comorbidities, 46–56% had less than four confirmed exposures. We found major heterogeneity across federal states, with 4–28% of participants having less than three confirmed exposures.Conclusion: Using serological analyses, literature synthesis and infection dynamics during the survey period, we observed moderate to high levels of protection against severe COVID-19, whereas the protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection was low across all age groups. We found relevant protection gaps in the oldest age group and amongst individuals with comorbidities, indicating a need for additional protective measures in these groups.