Cargando…
Results of WICOVIR Gargle Pool PCR Testing in German Schools Based on the First 100,000 Tests
Background: Opening schools and keeping children safe from SARS-CoV-2 infections at the same time is urgently needed to protect children from direct and indirect consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve this goal, a safe, efficient, and cost-effective SARS-CoV-2 testing system for schools i...
Autores principales: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Formato: | Online Artículo Texto |
Lenguaje: | English |
Publicado: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2021
|
Materias: | |
Acceso en línea: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8581236/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34778127 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fped.2021.721518 |
_version_ | 1784596762515734528 |
---|---|
author | Kheiroddin, Parastoo Schöberl, Patricia Althammer, Michael Cibali, Ezgi Würfel, Thea Wein, Hannah Kulawik, Birgit Buntrock-Döpke, Heike Weigl, Eva Gran, Silvia Gründl, Magdalena Langguth, Jana Lampl, Benedikt Judex, Guido Niggel, Jakob Pagel, Philipp Schratzenstaller, Thomas Schneider-Brachert, Wulf Gastiger, Susanne Bodenschatz, Mona Konrad, Maike Levchuk, Artem Roth, Cornelius Schöner, David Schneebauer, Florian Rohrmanstorfer, René Dekens, Marcus P. Brandstetter, Susanne Zuber, Johannes Wallerstorfer, Daniel Burkovski, Andreas Ambrosch, Andreas Wagner, Thomas Kabesch, Michael |
author_facet | Kheiroddin, Parastoo Schöberl, Patricia Althammer, Michael Cibali, Ezgi Würfel, Thea Wein, Hannah Kulawik, Birgit Buntrock-Döpke, Heike Weigl, Eva Gran, Silvia Gründl, Magdalena Langguth, Jana Lampl, Benedikt Judex, Guido Niggel, Jakob Pagel, Philipp Schratzenstaller, Thomas Schneider-Brachert, Wulf Gastiger, Susanne Bodenschatz, Mona Konrad, Maike Levchuk, Artem Roth, Cornelius Schöner, David Schneebauer, Florian Rohrmanstorfer, René Dekens, Marcus P. Brandstetter, Susanne Zuber, Johannes Wallerstorfer, Daniel Burkovski, Andreas Ambrosch, Andreas Wagner, Thomas Kabesch, Michael |
author_sort | Kheiroddin, Parastoo |
collection | PubMed |
description | Background: Opening schools and keeping children safe from SARS-CoV-2 infections at the same time is urgently needed to protect children from direct and indirect consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve this goal, a safe, efficient, and cost-effective SARS-CoV-2 testing system for schools in addition to standard hygiene measures is necessary. Methods: We implemented the screening WICOVIR concept for schools in the southeast of Germany, which is based on gargling at home, pooling of samples in schools, and assessment of SARS-CoV-2 by pool rRT-PCR, performed decentralized in numerous participating laboratories. Depooling was performed if pools were positive, and results were transmitted with software specifically developed for the project within a day. Here, we report the results after the first 13 weeks in the project. Findings: We developed and implemented the proof-of-concept test system within a pilot phase of 7 weeks based on almost 17,000 participants. After 6 weeks in the main phase of the project, we performed >100,000 tests in total, analyzed in 7,896 pools, identifying 19 cases in >100 participating schools. On average, positive children showed an individual CT value of 31 when identified in the pools. Up to 30 samples were pooled (mean 13) in general, based on school classes and attached school staff. All three participating laboratories detected positive samples reliably with their previously established rRT-PCR standard protocols. When self-administered antigen tests were performed concomitantly in positive cases, only one of these eight tests was positive, and when antigen tests performed after positive pool rRT-PCR results were already known were included, 3 out of 11 truly positive tests were also identified by antigen testing. After 3 weeks of repetitive WICOVIR testing twice weekly, the detection rate of positive children in that cohort decreased significantly from 0.042 to 0.012 (p = 0.008). Interpretation: Repeated gargle pool rRT-PCR testing can be implemented quickly in schools. It is an effective, valid, and well-received test system for schools, superior to antigen tests in sensitivity, acceptance, and costs. |
format | Online Article Text |
id | pubmed-8581236 |
institution | National Center for Biotechnology Information |
language | English |
publishDate | 2021 |
publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
record_format | MEDLINE/PubMed |
spelling | pubmed-85812362021-11-12 Results of WICOVIR Gargle Pool PCR Testing in German Schools Based on the First 100,000 Tests Kheiroddin, Parastoo Schöberl, Patricia Althammer, Michael Cibali, Ezgi Würfel, Thea Wein, Hannah Kulawik, Birgit Buntrock-Döpke, Heike Weigl, Eva Gran, Silvia Gründl, Magdalena Langguth, Jana Lampl, Benedikt Judex, Guido Niggel, Jakob Pagel, Philipp Schratzenstaller, Thomas Schneider-Brachert, Wulf Gastiger, Susanne Bodenschatz, Mona Konrad, Maike Levchuk, Artem Roth, Cornelius Schöner, David Schneebauer, Florian Rohrmanstorfer, René Dekens, Marcus P. Brandstetter, Susanne Zuber, Johannes Wallerstorfer, Daniel Burkovski, Andreas Ambrosch, Andreas Wagner, Thomas Kabesch, Michael Front Pediatr Pediatrics Background: Opening schools and keeping children safe from SARS-CoV-2 infections at the same time is urgently needed to protect children from direct and indirect consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve this goal, a safe, efficient, and cost-effective SARS-CoV-2 testing system for schools in addition to standard hygiene measures is necessary. Methods: We implemented the screening WICOVIR concept for schools in the southeast of Germany, which is based on gargling at home, pooling of samples in schools, and assessment of SARS-CoV-2 by pool rRT-PCR, performed decentralized in numerous participating laboratories. Depooling was performed if pools were positive, and results were transmitted with software specifically developed for the project within a day. Here, we report the results after the first 13 weeks in the project. Findings: We developed and implemented the proof-of-concept test system within a pilot phase of 7 weeks based on almost 17,000 participants. After 6 weeks in the main phase of the project, we performed >100,000 tests in total, analyzed in 7,896 pools, identifying 19 cases in >100 participating schools. On average, positive children showed an individual CT value of 31 when identified in the pools. Up to 30 samples were pooled (mean 13) in general, based on school classes and attached school staff. All three participating laboratories detected positive samples reliably with their previously established rRT-PCR standard protocols. When self-administered antigen tests were performed concomitantly in positive cases, only one of these eight tests was positive, and when antigen tests performed after positive pool rRT-PCR results were already known were included, 3 out of 11 truly positive tests were also identified by antigen testing. After 3 weeks of repetitive WICOVIR testing twice weekly, the detection rate of positive children in that cohort decreased significantly from 0.042 to 0.012 (p = 0.008). Interpretation: Repeated gargle pool rRT-PCR testing can be implemented quickly in schools. It is an effective, valid, and well-received test system for schools, superior to antigen tests in sensitivity, acceptance, and costs. Frontiers Media S.A. 2021-10-28 /pmc/articles/PMC8581236/ /pubmed/34778127 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fped.2021.721518 Text en Copyright © 2021 Kheiroddin, Schöberl, Althammer, Cibali, Würfel, Wein, Kulawik, Buntrock-Döpke, Weigl, Gran, Gründl, Langguth, Lampl, Judex, Niggel, Pagel, Schratzenstaller, Schneider-Brachert, Gastiger, Bodenschatz, Konrad, Levchuk, Roth, Schöner, Schneebauer, Rohrmanstorfer, Dekens, Brandstetter, Zuber, Wallerstorfer, Burkovski, Ambrosch, Wagner and Kabesch. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. |
spellingShingle | Pediatrics Kheiroddin, Parastoo Schöberl, Patricia Althammer, Michael Cibali, Ezgi Würfel, Thea Wein, Hannah Kulawik, Birgit Buntrock-Döpke, Heike Weigl, Eva Gran, Silvia Gründl, Magdalena Langguth, Jana Lampl, Benedikt Judex, Guido Niggel, Jakob Pagel, Philipp Schratzenstaller, Thomas Schneider-Brachert, Wulf Gastiger, Susanne Bodenschatz, Mona Konrad, Maike Levchuk, Artem Roth, Cornelius Schöner, David Schneebauer, Florian Rohrmanstorfer, René Dekens, Marcus P. Brandstetter, Susanne Zuber, Johannes Wallerstorfer, Daniel Burkovski, Andreas Ambrosch, Andreas Wagner, Thomas Kabesch, Michael Results of WICOVIR Gargle Pool PCR Testing in German Schools Based on the First 100,000 Tests |
title | Results of WICOVIR Gargle Pool PCR Testing in German Schools Based on the First 100,000 Tests |
title_full | Results of WICOVIR Gargle Pool PCR Testing in German Schools Based on the First 100,000 Tests |
title_fullStr | Results of WICOVIR Gargle Pool PCR Testing in German Schools Based on the First 100,000 Tests |
title_full_unstemmed | Results of WICOVIR Gargle Pool PCR Testing in German Schools Based on the First 100,000 Tests |
title_short | Results of WICOVIR Gargle Pool PCR Testing in German Schools Based on the First 100,000 Tests |
title_sort | results of wicovir gargle pool pcr testing in german schools based on the first 100,000 tests |
topic | Pediatrics |
url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8581236/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34778127 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fped.2021.721518 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT kheiroddinparastoo resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT schoberlpatricia resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT althammermichael resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT cibaliezgi resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT wurfelthea resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT weinhannah resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT kulawikbirgit resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT buntrockdopkeheike resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT weigleva resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT gransilvia resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT grundlmagdalena resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT langguthjana resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT lamplbenedikt resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT judexguido resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT niggeljakob resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT pagelphilipp resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT schratzenstallerthomas resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT schneiderbrachertwulf resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT gastigersusanne resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT bodenschatzmona resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT konradmaike resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT levchukartem resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT rothcornelius resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT schonerdavid resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT schneebauerflorian resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT rohrmanstorferrene resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT dekensmarcusp resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT brandstettersusanne resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT zuberjohannes resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT wallerstorferdaniel resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT burkovskiandreas resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT ambroschandreas resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT wagnerthomas resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests AT kabeschmichael resultsofwicovirgarglepoolpcrtestingingermanschoolsbasedonthefirst100000tests |