Infectious diseases
Project goals
Infectious diseases of the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract and urinary tract also lead to a high burden of disease in countries such as Germany. The last few years have shown how quickly infectious diseases can develop.
The scientific questions of the expert group are
- Identification of causes of increased susceptibility to infection
- Analysing the relationship between exposure to pathogens and the development of non-communicable diseases
- Evaluation of the effects of population-based prevention measures
- Analysing the burden of disease associated with pathogens
Speakers
Results
Loneliness and the pandemic: Between 30 April and 30 May 2020 – i.e. during the first hard lockdown in Germany – 205,000 adults from the German National Cohort (NAKO) were also asked to take part in a special COVID-19 survey. An evaluation on the topic of mental health revealed that 32 per cent of participants considered themselves lonely during the first lockdown – 26 per cent of men and 37 per cent of women. Overall, 80 per cent of participants stated that they had sometimes or often experienced the feeling of missing the company of others.
Estimating the level of protection against SARS-CoV-2 infections: As part of the IMMUNEBRIDGE project, data and biosamples from nine population- or hospital-based studies were analysed to provide estimates for protection against SARS-CoV-2 infections and severe COVID-19 infections between June and November 2022. The researchers found relevant protection gaps in the oldest age group and in people with comorbidities.
Lyme disease: Researchers determined the antibodies against Lyme disease pathogens in the blood serum of 14,207 NAKO participants. A higher probability of IgG seropositivity to Lyme disease was found with increasing age and in men compared to women.
Herpes zoster (HZ) virus: The data of 4,751 NAKO participants on herpes infections and complications of herpes infection were analysed. Eleven per cent of the participants reported at least one HZ episode in their lifetime. The estimated age-specific HZ incidence rates were lower than previous estimates based on statutory health insurance data.
Publications
Ortmann J, Heise JK, Janzen I, et al. Suitability and user acceptance of the eResearch system “Prospective Monitoring and Management App (PIA)”—The example of an epidemiological study on infectious diseases. Page K, ed. PLoS ONE. 2023;18(1):e0279969. http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0279969
Lange B, Jaeger VK, Harries M, et al. Estimates of protection levels against SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 in Germany before the 2022/2023 winter season: the IMMUNEBRIDGE project. Infection. 2024;52(1):139-153. http://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-023-02071-2
Hassenstein MJ, Aarabi G, Ahnert P, et al. Selbst berichtete Infektionen in der NAKO Gesundheitsstudie – Einordnung in die gegenwärtige Forschungslandschaft. Bundesgesundheitsbl. 2020;63(4):404-414. http://doi.org/10.1007/s00103-020-03114-x
Caputo M, Horn J, Karch A, et al. Herpes zoster incidence in Germany – an indirect validation study for self-reported disease data from pretest studies of the population-based German National Cohort. BMC Infect Dis. 2019;19(1):99. http://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-019-3691-2
Hassenstein MJ, Pischon T, Karch A, et al. Seropositivity of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. in Germany—an analysis across four German National Cohort (NAKO) study sites. Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):21087. http://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-47766-6
Kettlitz R, Harries M, Ortmann J, et al. Association of known SARS-CoV-2 serostatus and adherence to personal protection measures and the impact of personal protective measures on seropositivity in a population-based cross-sectional study (MuSPAD) in Germany. BMC Public Health. 2023;23(1):2281. http://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-17121-5
Dragano N, Reuter M, Berger K. Increase in mental disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic—the role of occupational and financial strains. An analysis of the German National Cohort (NAKO) Study. Deutsches Ärzteblatt international. 2022. http://doi.org/10.3238/arztebl.m2022.0133
Reuter M, Rigó M, Formazin M, et al. Authors’ response: Occupation and SARS-CoV-2 infection risk among workers during the first pandemic wave in Germany: potential for bias. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2022;48(7):588-590. http://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.4061
Berger K, Riedel-Heller S, Pabst A, et al. Einsamkeit während der ersten Welle der SARS-CoV-2-Pandemie – Ergebnisse der NAKO-Gesundheitsstudie. Bundesgesundheitsbl. 2021;64(9):1157-1164. http://doi.org/10.1007/s00103-021-03393-y
Peters A, Rospleszcz S, Greiser KH, Dallavalle M, Berger K. The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Self-Reported Health: early evidence from the German National Cohort. Deutsches Ärzteblatt international. 2020. http://doi.org/10.3238/arztebl.2020.0861