Abstract
BackgroundSurveillance strategies are critical to cope with the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and to evaluate, as well as adjust government-imposed countermeasures. Incidence estimates are widely based on laboratory confirmed cases reported by health authorities. Prevalence and incidence data of SARS-CoV-2 is still scarce, along with demographic and behavioural factors associated with infection risk.MethodsThe Cologne Corona Surveillance Study will be conducted in the City of Cologne, which is the fourth-largest city in Germany with a population of approximately 1.1 million. Researchers will apply self-sampling surveillance to a rolling cohort of Cologne residents. Random samples of 6000 Cologne residents 18 years of age and older will be drawn from the registration office. Upon receiving the information and saliva sample kit, participants will be asked to fill out a questionnaire online or via phone, sign written informed consent, and send back written consent, as well as saliva sample. The saliva samples will be tested for SARS-CoV-2 by reverse PCR. The questionnaire will be administered to gather information about personal characteristics such as health status and risks. A second round of testing will take place 6 weeks after the first.DiscussionSelf-administered saliva sampling proved to be a legitimate and feasible alternative to nasopharyngeal swabs taken by health professionals. However, it is unclear whether the targeted response rate of 40% can be achieved and whether the results are representative of the population.Trial registrationDRKS.de, German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS), Identifier: DRKS00024046, Registered on 25 February 2021.
Highlights
Surveillance strategies are critical to cope with the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and to evaluate, as well as adjust government-imposed countermeasures
The 7-day notification rate of newly reported SARS-CoV-2 infections has risen to more than 160 cases per 100,000 inhabitants [3], which poses a serious threat to hospitals and intensive care units
Saliva samples will be sent to our testing facility for analysis of SARS-CoV-2
Summary
Aim The aims of CoCoS are: 1. To provide a more precise estimate of the prevalence and incidence of SARS-CoV-2 in the general population of Cologne by estimating the extent of undetected SARS-CoV-2. Participants will be required to give written informed consent and to send a saliva sample within 1 week of receiving the package to the Institute of Virology, University Hospital Cologne. At the University Hospital of Cologne, the existence of a written informed consent will be checked, saliva samples will be analysed and participants who test positive will be notified immediately. Study instruments Questionnaires The first round of the CoCoS study survey will be conducted using a standard questionnaire that includes questions about personal data, such as age and health status, risk behaviours, and potential sources of infection. With regard to the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2, the following variables are of particular interest: age, gender, neighbourhoods, housing size, number of household members, pre-existing conditions, previous positive testing, potentially contagious contacts. This open source relational database management system makes use of foreign keys and indexes to accommodate the project and system data
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