Population In Austria Research Articles

Truly monogamous? Investigating multiple paternity in Eurasian beavers (Castor fiber) in a reestablished population in Austria

Truly monogamous? Investigating multiple paternity in Eurasian beavers (Castor fiber) in a reestablished population in Austria

Attitudes of the general population and mental health practitioners towards blended therapy in Austria.

Mental health problems are steadily increasing worldwide. In Austria, the overall supply of mental health services is low, especially in rural areas. Mobile technology and ablended care approach have the potential to overcome problems with service provision. The aim of this study was to map the attitudes of practitioners and people living in Austria towards blended therapy. Two individual online questionnaires (including the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, advantages and disadvantages, useful features) were distributed to practitioners and the general population in Austria. The questionnaires were answered by 152 members of the general public and 129 practitioners. The general population and practitioners seem to be cautious, but slightly positive about blended therapy. Previous experience of practitioners with blended therapy was low. Practitioners are most worried about the therapeutic process and their work-life balance, while the general population is worried about being overwhelmed by the concept, mainly due to the time investment. Tracking, recording and reminding functions (e.g., for mood, homework) were seen as especially valuable features and accessibility was deemed the biggest advantage by both samples. Practitioners' attitudes are important for implementation of blended therapy. More awareness might help against the cautiousness as well as implementing digital health applications in Austrian health policies.

Childhood Obesity Trends among 8-11-Year-Olds: Insights from a School Sample in Vienna, Austria (2017-2023).

In Austria, childhood obesity is a public health concern. This study examined time trends in the percentage of obesity among a sample of schoolchildren from Vienna (2017-2023). The body mass index percentiles of 326 children [9.3 years old (95% CI 8.3-10.5, min-max 8.0-10.9] from the EDDY study were calculated for trend analyses. Trend analysis was performed using a logistic regression using overweight and obesity as dependent binary variables, and study year and age as independent continuous variables. The percentage change over time was calculated, including the first period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Obesity percentages increased from 23.5 (95% CI 15.1-31.9)% in 2017 to 25.0 (95% CI 12.2-37.8)% in 2023. From 2017 to 2023, while overweight/obesity percentages decreased by 25.9 (-59.5-15.6)%, obesity increased by 6.4 (-51.2-94.9)%. A non-significant trend (p ≥ 0.38) was observed. During the first period of the pandemic, the percentage changes in overweight/obesity and obesity were 68.4 (5.6-187.9)% and 29.2 (-37.3-166.8)%, respectively. The current percentage of obesity in this sample is high and peaked in 2020 during the pandemic. These findings emphasize the need for future investigations considering the representativeness of the school-aged population in Austria to gain a broader picture of overweight and obesity trends.

Costs attributable to hypercholesterolemia in a single period and over the life cycle.

Hypercholesterolemia is a major risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease leading to reduced (healthy) life years. The aim of this study is to quantify the societal costs associated with hypercholesterolemia. We use epidemiologic data on the distribution of cholesterol levels as well as data on relative risks regarding ischemic heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases. The analytical approach is based on the use of population-attributable fractions applied to direct medical, direct non-medical and indirect costs using data of Austria. Within a life-cycle analysis we sum up the costs of hypercholesterolemia for the population of 2019 and, thus, consider future morbidity and mortality effects on this population. Epidemiologic data suggest that approximately half of Austria's population have low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels above the target levels (i.e., are exposed to increased risk). We estimate that 8.2% of deaths are attributable to hypercholesterolemia. Total costs amount to about 0.33% of GDP in the single-period view. In the life-cycle perspective, total costs amount to €806.06 million, €312.1 million of which are medical costs, and about €494 million arise due to production loss associated with hypercholesterolemia. The study points out that significant shares of deaths, entries into disability pension and care allowance, full-time equivalents lost to the labor market as well as monetary costs for the health system and the society could be avoided if LDL-C-levels of the population were reduced.

Palliative Care Survey: Awareness, Knowledge and Views of the Styrian Population in Austria.

No population-based data on awareness and knowledge of palliative care currently exist in Austria. We therefore conducted a survey to determine the general awareness and knowledge of palliative care in Styria, a federal state in Austria. We also asked participants to imagine what services they would need as a patient or family member, where they themselves would like to receive such services, and what fears they imagined patients with a terminal illness would have. A descriptive cross-sectional survey consisting of 18 questions that address several aspects of palliative care was carried out in the adult population of Styria, Austria, from October 2019 to March 2020. A total of 419 questionnaires were analyzed, whereby 70.3% of respondents had at least heard of palliative care. Of these, significantly more were female, had a university degree and were aged 50 to 64. The main goal of palliative care was chosen correctly by 67.1% of participants, with the proportion of correct answers increasing in line with education and reaching 82.0% among university graduates. Overall, 73.2% believed that the greatest need of terminally ill persons was a reduction in physical suffering, whereas the greatest perceived need of relatives was the availability of specialist care around the clock. About one-third believed that the greatest fear of palliative patients was that of death, which was chosen significantly more often by men than women. If terminally ill, some 39% of respondents would wish to be looked after at home by professional carers, and women and people that had completed high school chose this answer significantly more often. The most desired service that should be provided to patients and relatives was home pain management at 69.9%, followed by time off for family caregivers at 58.0%. This item was chosen significantly more often by women. To facilitate the care of severely ill patients at home, it would make sense to develop targeted information campaigns. These should also attempt to deliver targeted information to less informed groups of people, such as young, poorly educated men, in order to raise their awareness of the difficulties and challenges of providing care to terminally ill patients and thus increase the acceptance of support options.

No evidence of asymptomatic monkeypox infection in a highly sexually active MSM population in Austria.

The 2022 outbreak of monkeypox virus (MPXV) revealed new transmission routes. Incidence declined sharply in September 2022, and it remains unclear whether MPXV is circulating in asymptomatic individuals because of increased immunity. Our study aimed to assesss the number of asymtomatic MPXV carriers in individuals at high risk for STI. We analysed anal samples from asymptomatic highly sexually active men who have sex with men for the presence of MPXV. We detected a high number of concomitant sexually transmitted infections but did not find a single sample with MPXV. Our results indicate that the general recommendation to implement screening for MPXV is not currently justified.

Aspects of the Integration of Third and Fourth Generations of Serbian Migrant Workers in Vienna

This paper focuses on the integration of the third and fourth generations of descendants of Serbian migrant workers residing in Vienna, Austria. This immigrant community emerged as a result of the influx of Serbian guest workers who have been moving to Austria for temporary employment since the end of World War II. The third and fourth generations consist of their (great) grandchildren. The objective of this study is to examine the current state of their integration, based on the findings of research undertaken in 2020. Somehow paradoxically, we explore the following research question: to what extent are the third and fourth generation descendants of migrants, who were born and raised in Austria, integrated into the socio-cultural and political system of Austria, given that they are still perceived as ‘persons of migrant origin’?
 In this study, we re-evaluate the concept of integration, which tends to essentialise national identity, and emphasise the dynamic nature of the integration process and the transnational connections of our target group. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting state of emergency, the research was conducted online using Google surveys. We employed non-probabilistic and exponentially non-discriminatory sampling, utilising the ‘snowball’ sampling approach. A total of 73 individuals participated in the survey, which comprised 12 sections with 70 open and closed questions. Of the participants, 43.8% were men, 50.68% women, and 5.47% did not declare their gender.
 We adopted four criteria under which to analyse the integration processes based on the collected data and the responses of our respondents: cultural, structural, social, and emotional. The cultural factor refers to the acquisition of knowledge and skills, such as language proficiency and understanding of social norms. Structural integration involves the positioning and participation of migrants in key aspects of the host society, particularly the job market. Social integration encompasses interactions and connections with the local community and other groups, including marriage, friendships, and interactions beyond one’s own ethnic group. Lastly, emotional integration relates to elements of identification, a sense of belonging, and the various ways in which immigrants maintain connections with their own cultural group.
 We view integration as a dynamic and interactive phenomenon influenced by three parties: the country of origin (Serbia), the immigrants themselves, and their descendants. Thus, we investigate all three factors, while frequently highlighting intergenerational disparities in the integration process. In addition to the concept of integration, we incorporate contemporary interpretations of transnationality in this study, demonstrating that even members of the third and fourth generations of Serbian labour migrants maintain strong cultural ties and utilise cultural elements from both their ancestors’ country of origin (Serbia) and the country in which they were born and raised (Austria). Ultimately, we conclude that they are equally integrated into both the Serbian immigrant population in Austria and the society of their origin country, while maintaining significant transnational and emotional connections with Serbia.

Poverty in old age in times of COVID-19-Empirical results from Austria.

Early in the pandemic, researchers were cautioning that COVID-19 and the associated health policy countermeasures would have an increased negative impact on groups that were already vulnerable before the pandemic. One of these groups are older people affected by poverty, who according to official figures make up 13.9% of older population in Austria. Even before the pandemic, their living situation was considered precarious. Not without reason, this group has been identified as a high-risk group of the pandemic, due to their increased likelihood of severe COVID-19 related illness and their limited monetary resources and thus lower chances of coping with the pandemic. Nevertheless, research on this group has remained sparse to date. Therefore, the aim of the study is to focus on older people (60+ years) below the poverty line and to compare them with non-poor individuals. Data from the SHARE (Survey of Health Aging and Retirement in Europe) project is used, combining data from the two SHARE Corona Surveys (summer 2020 and summer 2021) and the SHARE Corona Special Austria Survey (December 2020) to gain the most complete picture of life situation during the pandemic. Results demonstrate that older people in poverty were more likely to report poor subjective health before as well as during the pandemic yet were significantly more likely to refuse vaccination against COVID-19, despite adhering to other measures against the pandemic to the same extent as non-poor people. Restrictions in the health care system affected both groups equally and no significant differences in the frequency of social contacts could be found. However, older people below the poverty line were significantly more likely to rely on social support to obtain necessities during the pandemic and were less likely to use the internet. Together, these results point out that disadvantage exist for the older poor in some but not all areas of life during the pandemic. This paper is aimed at providing first insights into the lives of poor older persons during a taxing time and may perhaps inspire more in-depth study of this particularly understudied population.

Songs of tractors and submission: on the assembled politicity of popular music and far-right populism in Austria

AbstractOur article addresses the connection between popular music and far-right populism, as exemplified by the Freedom Party of Austria (Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs, FPÖ). We discuss the specific mainstreaming and normalizing potential of popular music for far-right populist politics, by means of songs that do not qualify as political or politicized music in the sense of carrying a clear political message. We introduce a multi-step methodology that addresses performative aspects of actual situations of reception (fieldwork) and in-depth analyses of the music and its affordances (group analysis). Based on this approach, we argue that these ambivalent, sometimes even contradictory musical performances take on a life of their own within a specific arrangement that we will term anassembled politicity, in the sense of a political potential activated through situational arrangements. In this way, the FPÖ's musical programme affords far-right populist interpretations through music that appears to be unsuspicious.

Ready for Vaccination? COVID-19 Vaccination Willingness of Older People in Austria.

In spite of findings highlighting higher health risk from infection compared to younger people, a certain percentage of older people in Austria still lack a valid vaccination certificate. The current gaps in vaccination coverage in countries such as Austria are likely to be in large part due to vaccination refusal and pose or will pose problems for the health system and consequently for all of society should the initial findings on Omicron coronavirus infectivity prove true. Surprisingly, only a few studies around the globe explicitly address older people's COVID-19 vaccination willingness. The present work therefore intends to contribute to this field by identifying factors associated with the decision for or against a vaccination among the older population in Austria. Data collected between late 2020 and early 2021 via the cross-national panel study Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) are used to perform multinomial logistic regression to analyse differences between COVID-19 vaccination supporters, undecided persons and rejectors. The results show that persons exhibiting a low risk assessment toward COVID-19, less health protection behaviors, lower education and belonging to households with financial burdens are significantly more likely to refuse vaccination or be ambivalent. Although multimorbidity reduces risk of vaccination refusal, poor subjective health was significantly related to a higher risk of refusing vaccination. The results point to the importance of addressing the factors related to refusal. Only by understanding these factors will it be possible to increase vaccination rates and thus minimize other restrictive measures.

The social ambiguity of money: empirical evidence on the multiple usability of money in social life

In regard to the purpose of money use, economic theory provides a functionalist answer, while a dominant sociological view focuses on culture. However, Simmel noted the paradoxical nature of money in this respect. Money brings together both quantity and quality; therefore, it simultaneously has different potentialities for its usage. We conducted an exploratory factor analysis by using a representative sample (n = 2000) of the population in Austria to explore the potentialities of money usage. We found seven factors: freedom, community, status, institutional control, conflict, work-related control and household control. A discussion of the factors reveals the simultaneous, ambiguous existence of the qualitative and quantitative potentialities of the usage of money. We conclude that the ambiguity of money can only be described in all its contradictoriness by distinguishing between the concrete earmarking money for specific social purposes (Zelizer) and the potentially unspecific, open usability for alternative concrete or fictional purposes (Simmel).

SARS-CoV-2 RBD-specific and NP-specific antibody response of healthcare workers in the westernmost Austrian state Vorarlberg: a prospective cohort study

ObjectivesAustria, and particularly its westernmost federal state Vorarlberg, developed an extremely high incidence rate during the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare workers (HCWs) worldwide are known to have an increased risk of...

Comparison of the Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Nucleoprotein Antibodies in Healthcare Workers and an Unselected Adult and Pediatric All-Comer Patient Population in Austria

Comparison of the Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Nucleoprotein Antibodies in Healthcare Workers and an Unselected Adult and Pediatric All-Comer Patient Population in Austria

Detection of Ramularia collo-cygni DMI- and SDHI-resistant field populations in Austria and the effect of fungicides on the population and genetic diversity

Winter barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is the third most cultivated crop after corn and wheat in Austria but one of the most challenging for disease control. The foliar pathogen Ramularia collo-cygni B. Sutton and J.M. Waller, causing Ramularia leaf spots (RLS), is one of the most important diseases in barley. In the recent years, control has only been achieved using fungicide mixtures including the multi-site inhibitor chlorothalonil, however this compound is totally banned in the EU. The objective of this study was to assess fungicide dose-rates and spray mixtures for RLS control. Furthermore, a field monitoring within the main barley growing areas of Austria was carried out, to analyse the current resistance situation to DMI and SDHI fungicides, which are still the backbone in RLS control. The results indicate that only the mixture with chlorothalonil achieved a good RLS control. Prothioconazole or benzovindiflupyr (alone or additively) decrease the severity of RLS but increase the local frequency of Cyp51 and sdhC mutations, especially the high dose rates. Based on a low Cyp51 mutation frequency of 16% in untreated control this frequency increased over 3.8 times following an application with 300 g ha−1 prothioconazole. The cumulative-sdhC mutations were even more increased after an application with benzovindiflupyr. This study showed that Ramularia collo-cygni is present in 91% of barley fields presented in this field survey. Widespread use of chlorothalonil fungicide maintained a low to moderate mutation frequency (Cyp51-I325T, Cyp51-I328L, sdhC-H146R and sdhC-H153R) in Austrian barley regions with no increase between 2017 and 2019.

Die Zukunft der evangelischen Kirche: Prognosen für Österreich sowie für das Burgenland, Kärnten und Wien

Secularization and migration have substantially affected the place of the Protestant Church in the Austrian society in the last decades. The number of members has been shrinking markedly from 447 thousand members in 1971 to 278 thousand in 2018. The trend is visible across all provinces, although the magnitude is stronger in Vienna where both disaffiliation and international migration are stronger: In the capital city, the Protestant population diminished from 126 thousand to 47 thousand over the 1971-2018 period. Using population projections of membership to the Protestant Church, we look at the potential future of affiliation to the Protestant Church in Austria, and in three provinces: Burgenland, Carinthia, and Vienna from 2018 to 2048, considering different paths of fertility and disaffiliation. We also look at the impact of different scenarios regarding the composition of international migration flows on affiliation to the Protestant Church. Our findings suggest that in the absence of compensatory flows, the Protestant Church will keep shrinking unless it manages to stop disaffiliation. The projections also show that migrants, especially within mobile Europe, are a potential source of members that is at present not properly contributing to membership in Austria. According to the TREND EUROPE scenario, which is - seen from today - the most likely scenario with a continuation of declining entries and increased exits, the Protestant population in Austria would still decline from 283 thousand in 2018 to 144 thousand in 2048 (-49%). At the level of the three provinces, the decline would be faster in Vienna (-42%, from 47 to 27 thousand) than in Burgenland (-26%, from 32 to 24 thousand) and Carinthia (-37%, from 48 to 30 thousand). According to this scenario, by 2048 the Protestant population would correspond to 1.5% of the total population of Austria(1.3% in Vienna, 7.3% in Burgenland and 5.4% in Carinthia). Other scenarios reflect the potential impact of different religious composition of future migrant flows, as well as changing disaffiliation patterns. Only under the LIFT scenario, which assumes a reduction in exits by 50% and more migrants enrolling to the Protestant Church, we see an end of the haemorrhage and even an increase in the number of Protestants in Vienna.

The future of the Protestant Church: Estimates for Austria and for the Provinces of Burgenland, Carinthia and Vienna

Secularization and migration have substantially affected the place of the Protestant Church in the Austrian society in the last decades. The number of members has been shrinking markedly from 447 thousand members in 1971 to 278 thousand in 2018. The trend is visible across all provinces, although the magnitude is stronger in Vienna where both disaffiliation and international migration are stronger: In the capital city, the Protestant population diminished from 126 thousand to 47 thousand over the 1971-2018 period. Using population projections of membership to the Protestant Church, we look at the potential future of affiliation to the Protestant Church in Austria, and in three provinces: Burgenland, Carinthia, and Vienna from 2018 to 2048, considering different paths of fertility and disaffiliation. We also look at the impact of different scenarios regarding the composition of international migration flows on affiliation to the Protestant Church. Our findings suggest that in the absence of compensatory flows, the Protestant Church will keep shrinking unless it manages to stop disaffiliation. The projections also show that migrants, especially within mobile Europe, are a potential source of members that is at present not properly contributing to membership in Austria. According to the TREND EUROPE scenario, which is – seen from today – the most likely scenario with a continuation of declining entries and increased exits, the Protestant population in Austria would still decline from 283 thousand in 2018 to 144 thousand in 2048 (-49%). At the level of the three provinces, the decline would be faster in Vienna (-42%, from 47 to 27 thousand) than in Burgenland (-26%, from 32 to 24 thousand) and Carinthia (-37%, from 48 to 30 thousand). According to this scenario, by 2048 the Protestant population would correspond to 1.5% of the total population of Austria(1.3% in Vienna, 7.3% in Burgenland and 5.4% in Carinthia). Other scenarios reflect the potential impact of different religious composition of future migrant flows, as well as changing disaffiliation patterns. Only under the LIFT scenario, which assumes a reduction in exits by 50% and more migrants enrolling to the Protestant Church, we see an end of the haemorrhage and even an increase in the number of Protestants in Vienna.

From the Editor

From the Editor Christina Guenther This issue is dedicated to the students and colleagues on both sides of the Atlantic who have made the Bowling Green State University–Paris Lodron University of Salzburg academic exchange program over the past fifty years so transformative and enriching. Shortly after the World Health Organization declared that COVID-19 was to be considered a pandemic on March 11, 2020, strict rules were placed on personal movement all around the world. More than 130 nation-states closed their borders and placed heavy restrictions on domestic and international travel, prohibiting entry for almost all noncitizens (Banulescu-Bogdan, Benton, and Fratzke). Even within the Schengen Area of the European Union, which since 1993 has guaranteed free movement of its citizens across the borders of its member nations (today numbering twenty-six), a travel ban went into effect for a number of months. While the travel restrictions within the EU did get loosened during the summer months of 2020, a travel ban for some non-EU members has continued to stay in effect (European Commission). For this reason, it may seem somewhat counterintuitive to focus on migration at such an historical moment where unprecedented restrictions on travel are in force around the world. After all, the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the International Organization for Migration, too, temporarily suspended all resettlement departures for refugees. We know that on a global level, refugees and migrants have been particularly adversely affected by the travel bans (Banulescu-Bogdan, Benton, and Fratzke). According to the World Migration Report 2020, published by the UN International Organization for Migration, there are at least 272 million international migrants globally (2). Austria continues, too, to register an increase in migrants; the foreign-born population in Austria currently lies at approximately 19 percent of the population and is projected to increase ("Austria Population 2020 (Live)").1 Therefore, even if the current pandemic has preoccupied public consciousness [End Page xiii] for the moment, "[t]he specters of the past set the stage for the conflicts of the present" (Diez). Migration as experience—past and present—and the policies governing it remain central to the politics of both Austria and Europe and continue to challenge the democratic values and the very foundation of European identity. The long-term ramifications of border closings in contemporary Europe with regard to refugees, asylum, and immigration policies and their enforcement remain to be assessed. Certainly, pandemics, which are not new to Central Europe or to the world, have had an effect on mobility. Interestingly enough, for instance, as early as in the 1730s, the Habsburg Empire had an effective, if draconian, way of handling plagues transmitted through intercontinental and continental movement and trade (see Balázs and Foley 73). In their study of how the Austrian monarchy controlled the plague in the eighteenth century, Balázs and Foley explore how the monarch Charles VI mandated his Sanitary Court Commission to institute sea-port quarantine stations once the empire had established itself in international trade. Under Maria Theresia during the second half of the eighteenth century, the Venetian method of quarantine was imposed on continental border crossings, and stricter policies to counter global epidemics transmitted via continental and transcontinental trade led to successful epidemiological protection (Balázs and Foley 74). In our time, as the 2020 World Migration Report states, a complex relationship between migration and health continues to exist, and it remains to be seen how the COVID-19 pandemic will impact that relationship, especially in this era where migration increasingly has been weaponized as a political tool and used to undermine democracy and inclusive civic engagement (4, 7). The 2020 World Migration Report states quite clearly that "technology is an enabler and a game-changer" for migrants and host communities on many levels (8). Certainly, the Internet continues to allow us to move swiftly from one space to another and keeps us interconnected. Books and journals, similarly, continue to travel between places as well and allow us to migrate virtually. In that vein, the articles in this volume, written before the pandemic, allow us to migrate through time and place. They signal the power of narration and art, which transmit especially...

Reflections on Identity, Ethnicity and the Rise of Populism in Austria: Implications for Reconciliation and the Multicultural Character of the Church

Reflections on Identity, Ethnicity and the Rise of Populism in Austria: Implications for Reconciliation and the Multicultural Character of the Church

Assessing the Job-Finding Probability of Older and Prime-Age Unemployed Workers

We analyse the extent and determinants of somewhat gloomy employment prospects of older unemployed populations in Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia. For this purpose, we explore the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions over the period 2004-2014. Survival estimates suggest that older unemployed workers face lower job-finding probabilities compared to prime-age unemployed workers, while this age-based gap increases with longer unemployment spells. The results of estimating the hazard models reveal that the job-finding probability of older unemployed workers is about 20-25% lower than that of the prime-age group, even after controlling for explanatory covariates and unobserved heterogeneity. Unemployment duration appears to be the major determinant of job-finding probability within both age groups. In contrast, the impact of explanatory covariates (gender, education, household characteristics, etc.) is relatively less robust and/or uniform.

Antikörpertests bei COVID-19 - Was uns die Ergebnisse sagen

IntroductionIn the context of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, the detection of virus-specific antibodies (AB) will play an increasing role. The presence or absence of such antibodies can potentially lead to considerations regarding immunity and infection. IssueHow reliable are inferences from positive or negative test results regarding the actual presence of SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies? MethodsCalculation of the probability that, depending on the pretest probability (prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection) and test properties, antibodies are present or absent in the case of positive or negative test results. ResultsSensitivity and specificity of different SARS-CoV-2 AB test systems vary between 53 % and 94 % and between 91 % and 99.5 %, respectively. When using a test with high test quality, the positive predictive value (PPV) is 42 % and 7 9%, respectively, with a pre-test probability of 1 % to 5 %, as can currently be assumed for the general population in Austria or Germany. For persons with an increased pre-test probability of 20 %, e. g. persons from high-risk professions, the PPW is 95 %, with a pre-test probability of 80 % the PPW is almost 100 %. The negative predictive value (NPV) is at least 99.7 % for persons with a low pre-test probability of up to 5 % and 79.1 % for persons with a pre-test probability of 80 %. When using test systems with lower sensitivity and specificity, the reliability of the results decreases considerably. The PPV is 5.9 % with a pre-test probability of 1 %. ConclusionsA sufficiently high sensitivity and specificity are prerequisites for the application of antibody test systems. Positive test results are often false if the pre-test probability is low. Depending on the assumed prevalence of a SARS-CoV-2 infection, there are substantial differences in the significance of a concrete test result for the respective affected persons.