Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37530919›Full record

ArticleInfection2024

Estimates of protection levels against SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 in Germany before the 2022/2023 winter season: the IMMUNEBRIDGE project.

Berit Lange, Veronika K Jaeger, Manuela Harries, Viktoria Rücker, Hendrik Streeck, Sabine Blaschke, Astrid Petersmann, Nicole Toepfner, Matthias Nauck, Max J Hassenstein and 43 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Infection, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

10 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Observational
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  4. Responsive population-based cohorts as platforms for characterising pathogen- and population-level infection dynamics for epidemic prevention, preparedness and response.Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin · 2025
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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

53 authors.

Berit Lange *Department of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Brunswick, Germany. Berit.Lange@helmholtz-hzi.de.
Veronika K Jaeger *Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
Manuela HarriesDepartment of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Brunswick, Germany.
Viktoria RückerInstitute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
Hendrik StreeckInstitute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Sabine BlaschkeEmergency Department, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
Astrid PetersmannInstitute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medicine Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.
Nicole ToepfnerDepartment of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
Matthias NauckInstitute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Max J HassensteinDepartment of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Brunswick, Germany.
Maren DreierInstitute for Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Health Systems Research, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Isabell von HoltInstitute for Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Health Systems Research, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Axel BuddeInstitute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Antonia BartzInstitute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
Julia OrtmannDepartment of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Brunswick, Germany.
Marc-André KurosinskiInstitute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
Reinhard BernerDepartment of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
Max BorscheInstitute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
Gunnar BrandhorstInstitute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medicine Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.
Melanie BrinkmannInstitute for Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Health Systems Research, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Kathrin BuddeInstitute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Marek DeckenaMVZ Labor Krone GbR, Bad Salzuflen, Germany.
Geraldine EngelsDepartment of Pediatrics, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
Marc FenzlaffInstitute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Christoph HärtelDepartment of Pediatrics, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
Olga HovardovskaDepartment of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Brunswick, Germany.
Alexander KatalinicInstitute of Social Medicine and Epidemiology, University of Luebeck, Luebeck, Germany.
Katja KehlInstitute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Mirjam KohlsInstitute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
Stefan KrügerDimap, das Institut Für Markt- Und Politikforschung GmbH, Bonn, Germany.
Wolfgang LiebInstitute of Epidemiology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
Kristin M Meyer-SchlinkmannMVZ Labor Krone GbR, Bad Salzuflen, Germany.
Tobias PischonMolecular Epidemiology Research Group, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany.
Daniel RosenkranzInstitute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medicine Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.
Nicole RübsamenInstitute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
Jan RuppDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Lübeck, Germany.
Christian SchäferInstitute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Mario SchattschneiderInstitute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Anne SchlegtendalUniversity Children's Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Simon SchlinkertDimap, das Institut Für Markt- Und Politikforschung GmbH, Bonn, Germany.
Lena SchmidbauerInstitute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
Kai Schulze-WundlingInstitute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Stefan StörkDepartment of Clinical Research and Epidemiology, Comprehensive Heart Failure Center (CHFC), and Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
Carsten TiemannMVZ Labor Krone GbR, Bad Salzuflen, Germany.
Henry VölzkeInstitute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Theresa WinterInstitute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Christine KleinInstitute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
Johannes LieseDepartment of Pediatrics, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
Folke BrinkmannUniversity Children's Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Patrick F OttensmeyerInstitute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Jens-Peter ReeseInstitute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
Peter HeuschmannInstitute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
André Karch *Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Münster, Münster, Germany. akarch@uni-muenster.de.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeDespite 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.

methodsIn 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.

resultsMost 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.

conclusionUsing 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.

Indexed as

COVID-19Antibodies, ViralEuropean PeopleGermanyHumansSARS-CoV-2SeasonsAntibodies, ViralHumoral immunityNeutralizing antibodiesSARS-CoV-2Seroepidemiological studies

Identifiers

PMID37530919
PMCPMC10811028

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