Long-awaited findings from IMMUNEBRIDGE study reveal gaps in SARS-CoV-2 immunity

*Important Notices: medrex sib We publish a non-peer-reviewed, preliminary scientific report and should not be taken as conclusive, to guide clinical practice/health-related actions, or to be treated as established information.

In a recent study posted on medrex sib* Researchers are using preprint servers to estimate induced protection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and its severe consequences.

study: Estimating Protection Against SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Severe COVID-19 in Germany Before the 2022/2023 Winter Season – The IMMUNEBRIDGE Project. Image Credit: Jake Pixo / Shutterstock.com

Germany’s response to COVID-19

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Germany can provide rapid and adaptive assessment of herd immunity, transmission dynamics, vaccination coverage, and reported underdetection of SARS-CoV-2 infections There was no population-based panel.

The lack of suitable data to provide evidence of herd immunity across Germany after the summer of 2022 was due to the absence of coordinated population panels. Additionally, there was considerable uncertainty regarding the selection of appropriate endpoints related to correlating protection against severe SARS-CoV-2 infection, facilitating their use in real-time decision-making.

About research

In the current study, researchers estimate levels of protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 from June 2022 to November 2022.

The IMMUNEBRIDGE project will use current population-based studies and newly established cross-sectional surveys to target Germany for mild and severe COVID-19 between June 2022 and November 2022. We have presented a complete assessment of the level of protection reported by the population.

Antibodies elicited against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) and spike (S) antigen Assessed in participating studies. Seropositive percentages for the indicated subgroups were also calculated.

Immunization and illness histories of participating individuals were collected. This information was harmonized across all studies utilizing a collectively developed minimal data set (MDS).

The current project was designed to provide early ad-hoc feedback to the newly established modeling network for severe infectious diseases (MONID), which will start in early August 2022.

In addition, the IMMUNEBRIDGE framework included a targeted literature review to derive a categorization of the level of protection induced against SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe infection into a ‘composite endpoint’. . A composite endpoint was derived from the number of previous self-reported SARS-CoV-2 infections and vaccinations along with current antibody status against S and N antigens.

Blood samples were collected and antibodies generated against SARS-CoV-2 were evaluated in four population-based cohort studies. These include the Luebeck Longitudinal Investigation (ELISA) Study of SARS-CoV-2 Infection, the German National Cohort (NAKO), the Determinants of Stage A/B and Progression (STAAB), and the multifocal and multilocalization of antibodies against SARS-CoV. Serial prevalence studies included. -2 in Germany (MuSPAD) from June 2022 to November 2022.

Four additional cross-sectional studies were established, including the GUIDE study to assess regional depth and studies from university hospitals in Bochum, Dresden and Würzburg to provide relevant data for pediatric cases. rice field.

Investigation result

The nine participating studies included 33,647 participants who were questioned between June and November 2022. The number of individuals with confirmed exposure to SARS-CoV-2 less than 3 he ranged from 5% to 16% in the adult age cohort.

Conversely, 37% of people 79 years and older had fewer than 4 confirmed exposures. In addition, 80% of children and adolescents had fewer than 3 confirmed exposures of hers, and 13% reported no immune correlations or exposures.

No significant variation in results was observed when borderline antibody values ​​from the GUIDE study were interpreted as seronegative. Of those individuals who self-reported comorbidities, 46% to 56% of them had fewer than 4 confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 exposure to him, and 5 to 10% had fewer than 3 of them.

The proportion of individuals with less than 3 exposures was low across all age groups. However, the number of people with unrecorded exposures was higher, especially among those under her 18 years of age.

Seropositivity to the N antigen declined with age, whereas the same was not observed for seropositivity to the S antigen, and changes were noted only between children and adults.

Approximately 95% of study participants across all age categories reported antibodies elicited against the S antigen. Individuals aged 1 to 17 years had the lowest S antigen antibody at 80%.

In addition, 52% of study participants of all ages showed antibodies to the N antigen, with the highest rate at 68% among those aged 1 to 17 years and lowest at 28% among those aged 79 years and older.

A general pattern of decreasing concentrations of antibodies to the N antigen was observed with aging. Antibodies elicited against the N antigen were less frequently detected in elderly patients aged 64 years or older and those with comorbidities.

Among participants who reported their first infection after receiving at least two vaccinations, the seroprevalence of antibodies elicited against the N antigen was 89% up to 5 months post-infection. This percentage dropped to 68% among those who reported infection more than a month ago. Similar results were observed in unvaccinated individuals, but they were significantly less pronounced.

Conclusion

Moderate to high protection against severe COVID-19 was observed in most age groups, but low protection was observed against infection in all age groups.

The transfer of preliminary data to a new modeling network for severe infections in Germany facilitated the incorporation of this information into ongoing modeling studies to assess potential impacts on transmission dynamics. Thus, the findings of the IMMUNEBRIDGE project demonstrate the importance of a network of scientific institutions supported by appropriate infrastructure and human resources.

*Important Notices: medrex sib We publish a non-peer-reviewed, preliminary scientific report and should not be taken as conclusive, to guide clinical practice/health-related actions, or to be treated as established information.