Serology- and PCR-based cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in adults in a successfully contained early hotspot (CoMoLo study), Germany, May to June 2020

Euro Surveill. 2020 Nov;25(47):2001752. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.47.2001752.

Abstract

Three months after a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Kupferzell, Germany, a population-based study (n = 2,203) found no RT-PCR-positives. IgG-ELISA seropositivity with positive virus neutralisation tests was 7.7% (95% confidence interval (CI): 6.5-9.1) and 4.3% with negative neutralisation tests. We estimate 12.0% (95% CI: 10.4-14.0%) infected adults (24.5% asymptomatic), six times more than notified. Full hotspot containment confirms the effectiveness of prompt protection measures. However, 88% naïve adults are still at high COVID-19 risk.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; antibody; seroepidemiologic studies; seroprevalence.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • COVID-19
  • COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Testing*
  • COVID-19 Serological Testing*
  • Coronavirus / genetics*
  • Coronavirus / isolation & purification*
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis*
  • Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology
  • Disease Outbreaks / prevention & control
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Female
  • Germany / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Incidence
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pandemics / prevention & control
  • Pneumonia, Viral / diagnosis*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods*
  • Population Surveillance
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • Serologic Tests

Substances

  • Immunoglobulin G