Protocol of a population-based prospective COVID-19 cohort study Munich, Germany (KoCo19)
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STUDY PROTOCOL
Open Access
Protocol of a population-based prospective COVID-19 cohort study Munich, Germany (KoCo19) Katja Radon1,2*† , Elmar Saathoff3,4†, Michael Pritsch3, Jessica Michelle Guggenbühl Noller3, Inge Kroidl3,4, Laura Olbrich3, Verena Thiel3, Max Diefenbach3, Friedrich Riess3, Felix Forster1, Fabian Theis5,6, Andreas Wieser3,7, Michael Hoelscher2,3,4 and the KoCo19 collaboration group
Abstract Background: Due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, public health interventions have been introduced globally in order to prevent the spread of the virus and avoid the overload of health care systems, especially for the most severely affected patients. Scientific studies to date have focused primarily on describing the clinical course of patients, identifying treatment options and developing vaccines. In Germany, as in many other regions, current tests for SARS-CoV2 are not conducted on a representative basis and in a longitudinal design. Furthermore, knowledge about the immune status of the population is lacking. Nonetheless, these data are needed to understand the dynamics of the pandemic and hence to appropriately design and evaluate interventions. For this purpose, we recently started a prospective population-based cohort in Munich, Germany, with the aim to develop a better understanding of the state and dynamics of the pandemic. Methods: In 100 out of 755 randomly selected constituencies, 3000 Munich households are identified via random route and offered enrollment into the study. All household members are asked to complete a baseline questionnaire and subjects ≥14 years of age are asked to provide a venous blood sample of ≤3 ml for the determination of SARS-CoV-2 IgG/IgA status. The residual plasma and the blood pellet are preserved for later genetic and molecular biological investigations. For twelve months, each household member is asked to keep a diary of daily symptoms, whereabouts and contacts via WebApp. If symptoms suggestive for COVID-19 are reported, family members, including children < 14 years, are offered a pharyngeal swab taken at the Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital Munich, for molecular testing for SARS-CoV-2. In case of severe symptoms, participants will be transferred to a Munich hospital. For one year, the study teams re-visits the households for blood sampling every six weeks. (Continued on next page)
* Correspondence: [email protected] † Katja Radon and Elmar Saathoff contributed equally to this work. 1 Institute and Outpatient Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) University Hospital Munich, Ziemssenstr. 1, 80336 Munich, Germany 2 Center for International Health, LMU University Hospital, Munich, Germany Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
© The Author(s). 2020 Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or
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