Combined Prospective Seroconversion and PCR Data of Selected Cohorts Indicate a High Rate of Subclinical SARS-CoV-2 Infections—an Open Observational Study in Lower Saxony, Germany
Rebecca Jonczyk, Nils Stanislawski, Lisa Seiler, Holger Blume, Stefanie Heiden, Henning Lucas, Samir Sarikouch, Philipp‐Cornelius Pott, Meike Stiesch, Corinna Hauß, Giulietta Saletti, Mariana González-Hernández, Franziska Kaiser, Guus F. Rimmelzwaan, Albert Osterhaus, Cornelia Blume
Abstract
> 1,600) tests were offered in three different working fields. The study identified 51 subjects with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection and 37 subjects reported to have had a positive PCR test taken externally. Thirty-one of the 51 subjects did not display any symptoms prior to testing. In addition, 58 subjects without PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were identified by seroconversion. Subjects, that had undergone SARS-CoV-2 infection without having noticed, more often had a low grade of immunization with no NAbs, but may have relevantly contributed to the spread of the pandemic. Based on these results, we suggest that both regular PCR and rapid test screening of symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, specifically within groups or workplaces identifiable as having close quarter contact, thus increased infection transference risk, is necessary to better assess and therefore reduce the spread of a pandemic virus.