Seroprävalenz von SARS CoV-2-Antikörpern in evangelischen Kirchengemeinden in den Landkreisen Marburg-Biedenkopf und Schwalm-Eder
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Philipps-Universität Marburg
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Abstract
The infectiousness of asymptomatic carriers of the new single-stranded RNA virus SARS-CoV-2, who continue to be active in public life, necessitates early detection and thus interruption of the chain of infection, as well as offering new insights into the containment of infectious events. A person infected with SARS-CoV-2 can remain clinically asymptomatic, or show symptoms such as an impaired sense of taste and smell, coughing, fever, limb pain and fatigue, or even pneumonia leading to ARDS requiring ventilation with a fatal course. The production of antibodies type M and G against SARS-CoV-2 can be used to detect an infection. Church congregations as a social entity differ from society as a whole: Their members are on average older and predominantly female. Although family-like traditions are cultivated here, people from different households come together, for example during festivities. How SARS-CoV-2 has spread in the general population as well as within church communities is currently still unclear. The following questions were studied in this work:
• What proportion of people involved in evangelical church communities is currently showing SARS-CoV-2 antibodies?
• Are there specific groups among the participants of the study in which an increased SARS-CoV-2 antibody rate can be identified (e.g. full-time/parttime versus volunteer/attendee)?
As part of the study, a voluntary patient base was compiled from the 5 church districts, or deaneries, of Fritzlar-Homberg, Kirchhain, Marburg, Melsungen and Ziegenhain in the period from 3 December 2020 to 26 February 2021. They were
divided into the following 3 subgroups:
• Full-time staff: clergy members in parish service, youth workers, church musicians
• Part-time staff and volunteers: church council members, sextons, organists, church secretaries
• Attendees of events: worshippers, choirs, senior citizens’ care, etc.
The SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antibody Test from Roche (sensitivity: 99.07%; specificity: 98.65%) and capillary whole blood from the fingertip were used for antibody detection. A questionnaire was distributed in advance for individual risk assessment. If antibodies of type IgM and/or IgG against SARS-CoV-2 were present in the sample, the lines “G” and/or “M” were also visible in addition to the positive control line “C”. The results of the test chambers were photographed, pseudonymised and recorded in a database. The answers from the questionnaire were entered into a separate database according to the four eyes principle, whereby the pseudonym of the participants established the link between test result and questionnaire answers. The statistical evaluation was primarily based on the estimation of rates with confidence intervals. The analysis was conducted with the relative frequency and exact Clopper-Pearson confidence intervals. Possible perturbation variables were taken into account by means of a logit model, using the programme R. Due to the tightening of contact restrictions, the study was paused from 15 December 2020 to 9 January 2021. At the end of December 2020, the vaccination programme against SARS-CoV-2 started in the Federal Republic of Germany. Of all 1553 participants, 23 persons had been vaccinated, 3 persons had incomplete data, 34 persons had participated more than once. Thus, 1493 participants were considered in this evaluation. There were 544 men and 949 women aged 18-90 years among all participants, 1448 had a negative result and 45 had a positive result of the SARS-CoV-2 antibody test. This corresponded to a seroprevalence of 3% (Confidence interval 2.2% - 4%; Clopper-Pearson). Among all participants evaluated, 990 reported regular attendance at the service, 24 had a positive SARS CoV-2 antibody test result. This corresponded to a seroprevalence of 2.4%. Among 503 participants,
who reported non-regular attendance at religious services, 21 had a positive SARS CoV-2 antibody test result. This corresponded to a seroprevalence of 4.2%. Of the 343 people out of the 1493 evaluated, who reported a full-time or part-time church position, 13 had a positive SARS CoV-2 antibody test result. This corresponded to a seroprevalence of 3.8%. Of the 1129 people out of the 1493 evaluated, who reported a non-principal or secondary church job, 29 had a positive SARS-CoV-2 antibody test result. This corresponded to a seroprevalence of 2.6%. No significant difference could be found for an increased risk of infection when attending a service at and/or holding a full-time/part-time position in church. A logistic regression model was used to identify possible perturbation variables. No significant factors could be identified. It is plausible that the low seroprevalence is due to the low number of participants compared to similar studies. However, more comprehensive informing of the public and stricter adherence to distance and hygiene measures may also offer an explanation. It should also be noted that at the time of sample collection, currently infected study participants might have formed too few antibodies, so that they were below the detection limit. If the infection occurred too far in the past, the antibody titre may already start decreasing and detection may no longer be possible. The type of sample material must also be taken into account, as a venous whole-blood sample may be superior compared to a capillary blood sample. Finally it should be noted that further studies in this format are no longer feasible, as our study started before the vaccination effort against SARS-CoV-2 rolled out and is therefore to be counted among the last studies to be conducted in a virus-naïve, unvaccinated population.
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Created: 2023Issued: 2023-07-26Updated: 2023-07-26
Faculty
Medizin
Publisher
Philipps-Universität Marburg
Language
ger
Data types
DoctoralThesis
Keywords
church congregationsSARS-CoV-2-AntibodiesseroprevalenceCOVID
DFG-subjects
SeroprävalenzCOVIDKirchengemeindenAntikörperstatusSARS-CoV-2-Antikörper
DDC-Numbers
610
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Gomez Duque, Nataly: Seroprävalenz von SARS CoV-2-Antikörpern in evangelischen Kirchengemeinden in den Landkreisen Marburg-Biedenkopf und Schwalm-Eder. : Philipps-Universität Marburg 2023-07-26. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17192/z2023.0413.