Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in German secondary schools from October 2020 to July 2021: a longitudinal study

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

Abstract

Purpose: To quantify the number of SARS-CoV-2 infections in students and teachers in 14 Secondary schools in eastern Saxony, Germany. Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in study population. Number of undetected cases. Methods: Serial seroprevalence study. Results: The role of educational settings in the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic is still controversial. Seroprevalence increases from 0.8 to 5.9% from October to December when schools remained open and to 12.2% in March/April during a strict lockdown with closed schools. The ratio of undetected to detected cases decreased from 0.76 to 0.44 during the study period. Conclusion: During the second and third wave of the pandemic in Germany, students and teachers are not overrepresented in SARS-CoV-2 infections. The percentage of undetected cases is moderate and decreases over time. The risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 within the household is higher than contracting it in educational settings making school closures rather ineffective in terms of pandemic control measures or individual risk reduction in children and adolescents. Trial registration: DRKS00022455 (July 23rd, 2020).

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1483-1490
Number of pages8
JournalInfection
Volume50
Issue number6
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2022
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 35460495

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

Keywords

  • Infectious disease, Pediatrics, SARS-CoV-2, Seroprevalence, Students, Teachers

Library keywords