Estimates of protection levels against SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 in Germany before the 2022/2023 winter season: the IMMUNEBRIDGE project
Autor/innen
- B. Lange
- V.K. Jaeger
- M. Harries
- V. Rücker
- H. Streeck
- S. Blaschke
- A. Petersmann
- N. Toepfner
- M. Nauck
- M.J. Hassenstein
- M. Dreier
- I. von Holt
- A. Budde
- A. Bartz
- J. Ortmann
- M.A. Kurosinski
- R. Berner
- M. Borsche
- G. Brandhorst
- M. Brinkmann
- K. Budde
- M. Deckena
- G. Engels
- M. Fenzlaff
- C. Härtel
- O. Hovardovska
- A. Katalinic
- K. Kehl
- M. Kohls
- S. Krüger
- W. Lieb
- K.M. Meyer-Schlinkmann
- T. Pischon
- D. Rosenkranz
- N. Rübsamen
- J. Rupp
- C. Schäfer
- M. Schattschneider
- A. Schlegtendal
- S. Schlinkert
- L. Schmidbauer
- K. Schulze-Wundling
- S. Störk
- C. Tiemann
- H. Völzke
- T. Winter
- C. Klein
- J. Liese
- F. Brinkmann
- P.F. Ottensmeyer
- J.P. Reese
- P. Heuschmann
- A. Karch
Journal
- Infection
Quellenangabe
- Infection 52 (1): 139-153
Zusammenfassung
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.