Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35854283›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2022

Results of the Cologne Corona surveillance (CoCoS) study - a prospective population-based cohort study: incidence data and potential underestimation of new SARS-CoV-2 adult infections by health authorities.

Max Oberste, Lynn-Marie Pusch, Rebecca Roth, Kija Shah-Hosseini, Jana Schmitz, Eva Heger, Felix Dewald, Claudia Müller, Luise Stach von Goltzheim, Clara Lehmann and 8 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 28% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Max ObersteInstitute of Medical Statistics and Computational Biology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Robert-Koch-Straße 10, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
Lynn-Marie PuschInstitute of Medical Statistics and Computational Biology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Robert-Koch-Straße 10, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
Rebecca RothInstitute of Medical Statistics and Computational Biology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Robert-Koch-Straße 10, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
Kija Shah-HosseiniInstitute of Medical Statistics and Computational Biology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Robert-Koch-Straße 10, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
Jana SchmitzInstitute of Virology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Fürst-Pückler-Straße 56, 50935, Cologne, Germany.
Eva HegerInstitute of Virology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Fürst-Pückler-Straße 56, 50935, Cologne, Germany.
Felix DewaldInstitute of Virology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Fürst-Pückler-Straße 56, 50935, Cologne, Germany.
Claudia MüllerInstitute of Virology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Fürst-Pückler-Straße 56, 50935, Cologne, Germany.
Luise Stach von GoltzheimInstitute of Medical Statistics and Computational Biology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Robert-Koch-Straße 10, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
Clara LehmannDepartment of Internal Medicine, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
Michael BuessCologne Health Authority, Cologne, Germany.
Anna WolffCologne Health Authority, Cologne, Germany.
Gerd FätkenheuerDepartment of Internal Medicine, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
Gerhard WiesmüllerCologne Health Authority, Cologne, Germany.
Florian KleinInstitute of Virology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Fürst-Pückler-Straße 56, 50935, Cologne, Germany.
Kerstin Daniela RosenbergerInstitute of Medical Statistics and Computational Biology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Robert-Koch-Straße 10, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
Florian Neuhann *Cologne Health Authority, Cologne, Germany.
Martin Hellmich *Institute of Medical Statistics and Computational Biology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Robert-Koch-Straße 10, 50931, Cologne, Germany. martin.hellmich@uni-koeln.de.
University Hospital Cologne · DEUniversity of Cologne · DEHeidelberg University · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCurrent incidence estimates of SARS-CoV-2 in Germany rely to a large extent on case notifications. However, the large number of mild or asymptomatic infections is likely to result in underestimation. Population-based studies can provide valid estimates of the SARS-CoV-2 incidence and thus support health authorities to monitor the epidemiological situation and to initiate, maintain, strengthen or relax effective countermeasures.

methodsThis study was conducted in Cologne, Germany. Six-thousand randomly drawn Cologne residents, 18 years of age or older, were contacted by mail in March 2021. Study envelopes contained a kit for self-administered saliva sample and access details to a questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, previous positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR and completed COVID-19 vaccinations. Participants were again invited for a second round in June 2021, while those who declined participation were replaced by additional randomly drawn Cologne residents in order to reach a total of 6000 potential participants again. The saliva samples were sent to the laboratory by mail and tested for SARS-CoV-2 using RT-qPCR. The incidence estimates were adjusted for sensitivity and specificity of the test procedure and compared with the official numbers of new SARS-CoV-2 cases in the adult Cologne population.

resultsThe first surveillance round in March 2021 (response rate: 34.08%, N = 2045) showed a SARS-CoV-2 seven-day incidence of 85 cases per 100,000 adult Cologne residents (95% CI: 9 to 319). In the same period, the officially registered cases were 125 per 100,000. The second surveillance round in June 2021 (response rate: 36.53%, N = 2192) showed a seven-day incidence of 27 per 100,000 adult Cologne residents (95% CI: 1 to 142), while the official figures for newly registered SARS-CoV-2 cases in the same period were 15 per 100,000.

conclusionsThe incidence estimates do not indicate relevant underestimation of new SARS-CoV-2 infections based on case notification. Regular use of the surveillance method developed here may nevertheless complement the efforts of the health authorities to assess the epidemiological situation.

trial registrationDRKS.de, German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS), Identifier: DRKS00024046 , Registered on 25 February 2021.

Indexed as

COVID-19AdolescentAdultCohort StudiesHumansIncidenceProspective StudiesSARS-CoV-2CoronavirusCOVID-19IncidencePandemicSurveillanceUnderestimation

Identifiers

PMID35854283
PMCPMC9294849
OpenAlexW4285799156

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.