Testing for COVID-19 Infection in Asymptomatic Persons

Intensive action has been taken around the globe to fight the corona virus SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19) pandemia. Clinical symptoms of the infection appear to be variable, from basically asymptomatic infections and mild, flu-like symptoms up to severe respiratory insufficiency, requiring mechanical ventilation at the intensive care unit, and death. Broad testing for COVID-19 infection has been proven difficult in clinical practice and hampered by limited resources. Urgently needed epidemiological data on the rate of silent, asymptomatic infections in the population and the percentage of individuals that have already developed immunity are still missing. Within this study we therefore plan to (i) determine the proportion of asymptomatic COVID-19 virus carriers in (a) German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) employees, who work and are present at the center during the time of extended minimum operation and (b) in all DKFZ employees before onboarding when extended minimum operation has been terminated. We plan to (ii) develop a high-throughput assay for COVID-19 testing as well as (iii) a serum-based COVID-19 antibody assay. Finally, we will (iv) analyze for a possible correlation between oral microbiome and COVID-19 infection status.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: COVID-19 Infection

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 500

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Germany
  • Baden-Württemberg
    • Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, 69120
      • German Cancer Research Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

DKFZ employees

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

DKFZ employee

Exclusion Criteria:

Non DKFZ employee

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
COVID-19 infection	6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: German Cancer Research Center

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 20, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 30, 2021
• Study Completion (Actual): September 30, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 12, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 13, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): April 14, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 29, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 28, 2022
• Last Verified: March 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Coronavirus Infections; Coronaviridae Infections; Nidovirales Infections; RNA Virus Infections; Virus Diseases; Respiratory Tract Infections; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Pneumonia, Viral; Pneumonia; Lung Diseases; Disease Attributes; COVID-19; Infections; Communicable Diseases
• Other Study ID Numbers: COVID-19-1.0-DKFZ

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No