Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40354031›Full record

ArticleInfection2025

Effective surveillance of acute COVID-19 using a cost- and labor-efficient approach: a paradigm for the longitudinal monitoring of respiratory infections in larger cohorts.

Paul R Wratil, Niklas A Schmacke, Burak Karakoc, Christopher Dächert, Elif Apak, Franziska Krenn, Sara Bjedov, Irina Badell, Tamara Pflantz, Alexandra Lübke and 15 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Infection, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

25 authors.

Paul R Wratil *Faculty of Medicine, Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, LMU München, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, Virology, Munich, 80336, Germany. wratil@mvp.lmu.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0942-0637
Niklas A Schmacke *Gene Center, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, LMU München, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 25, Munich, 81377, Germany. schmacke@genzentrum.lmu.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3998-1139
Burak KarakocFaculty of Medicine, Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, LMU München, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, Virology, Munich, 80336, Germany.
Christopher DächertFaculty of Medicine, Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, LMU München, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, Virology, Munich, 80336, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6441-3099
Elif ApakFaculty of Medicine, Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, LMU München, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, Virology, Munich, 80336, Germany.
Franziska KrennFaculty of Medicine, Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, LMU München, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, Virology, Munich, 80336, Germany.
Sara BjedovFaculty of Medicine, Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, LMU München, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, Virology, Munich, 80336, Germany.
Irina BadellFaculty of Medicine, Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, LMU München, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, Virology, Munich, 80336, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6629-3542
Tamara PflantzFaculty of Medicine, Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, LMU München, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, Virology, Munich, 80336, Germany.
Alexandra LübkeDekanat der Medizinischen Fakultät, LMU Klinikum, LMU München, Munich, Germany.
Vanessa FerrariDekanat der Medizinischen Fakultät, LMU Klinikum, LMU München, Munich, Germany.
Aldric NamiasFaculty of Medicine, Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, LMU München, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, Virology, Munich, 80336, Germany.
Alexander GrafLaboratory for Functional Genome Analysis, Gene Center, LMU München, Munich, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4435-6861
Natascha Grzimek-KoschewaFaculty of Medicine, Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, LMU München, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, Virology, Munich, 80336, Germany.
Helga MairhoferFaculty of Medicine, Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, LMU München, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, Virology, Munich, 80336, Germany.
Ina Koeva-SlanchevaFaculty of Medicine, Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, LMU München, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, Virology, Munich, 80336, Germany.
Stefan HörmansdorferBavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleissheim, Germany.
Stefan KrebsLaboratory for Functional Genome Analysis, Gene Center, LMU München, Munich, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5112-9507
Helmut BlumLaboratory for Functional Genome Analysis, Gene Center, LMU München, Munich, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3994-2332
Ernst-W RaschnerFaculty of Medicine, Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, LMU München, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, Virology, Munich, 80336, Germany.
Matthias KleinEmergency Department, Department of Neurology, LMU Klinikum, LMU München, Munich, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9064-6865
Stephan BoehmFaculty of Medicine, Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, LMU München, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, Virology, Munich, 80336, Germany.
Veit HornungGene Center, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, LMU München, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 25, Munich, 81377, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4150-194X
Martin R FischerDekanat der Medizinischen Fakultät, LMU Klinikum, LMU München, Munich, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5299-5025
Oliver T KepplerFaculty of Medicine, Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, LMU München, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, Virology, Munich, 80336, Germany. keppler@mvp.lmu.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1384-8946

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo reduce the risk of viral transmission in a large cohort of individuals by longitudinal surveillance of COVID-19.

methodsA cost- and labor-effective method was developed for longitudinal screening of acute COVID-19 in larger cohorts with high-level data protection. Herein, individuals would submit self-sampled tongue swabs that were analyzed for viral RNA by pooled reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results were communicated online and by telephone. Utilizing this workflow, medical and dental students at a quaternary care hospital were regularly tested between December 16, 2020, and February 17, 2023. Virus variant analysis was performed by melting curve PCR and next-generation sequencing.

resultsOur method led to a cost reduction for PCR testing that was greater than 10-fold without compromising the time to result. 3,693 individuals participated, contributing 52,993 samples. 430 cases of acute COVID-19 were detected in total. The testing behavior among participants differed from that of the general population. Periods with high numbers of newly detected cases in the study cohort coincided with high COVID-19 incidences in the public. Furthermore, one COVID-19 outbreak was observed in the cohort that was not matched by an increased incidence in the general population. Longitudinal virus variant analysis showed an overlap between variants detected in the study cohort and the public.

conclusionOur method enables cost-effective, longitudinal screening for COVID-19 and possibly other respiratory diseases in larger cohorts. At times of high disease burden or if public surveillance is less vigorous, this approach might be useful for the surveillance of vulnerable individuals and healthcare professionals.

Indexed as

COVID-19Respiratory Tract InfectionsSARS-CoV-2AdultAgedCost-Benefit AnalysisCOVID-19 Nucleic Acid TestingFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedRNA, ViralRNA, ViralCOVID-19Longitudinal cohort studyPCR testSARS-CoV-2SurveillanceVariant analysis

Identifiers

PMID40354031
PMCPMC12460580

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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.