The project ZIFCO is a combination of various project proposals in the field of infectious disease epidemiology. At the heart of the project is the eResearch system ‘Prospective Monitoring and Management – App (PIA)’. PIA is used to record new infection symptoms (respiratory, gastrointestinal and urogenital infections) prospectively and in real time. Participants are asked to submit weekly reports on their state of health via PIA and can also use a ‘spontaneous reporting function’ as soon as symptoms occur.
If certain respiratory infection symptoms are present, participants are asked to take a nasal swab themselves, which is then examined virologically by Hannover Medical School (MHH). PIA also collects other information that could be related to susceptibility to infection, e.g. information about vaccinations, medications, contact with animals, contact with children or food intolerances.
The PAROCARD project also included the measurement of intima-media thickness (inner thickness of the vessel wall) of the carotid artery to determine the risk of future cardiovascular diseases such as stroke or heart attack.
The study is funded by the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), the Helmholtz Association and the German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF).
