Serology- and PCR-based cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in adults in a successfully contained early hotspot (CoMoLo study), Germany, May to June 2020

Santos-Hövener, Claudia; Neuhauser, Hannelore K; Rosario, Angelika Schaffrath; Busch, Markus; Schlaud, Martin; Hoffmann, Robert; Gößwald, Antje; Koschollek, Carmen; Hoebel, Jens; Allen, Jennifer; Haack-Erdmann, Antje; Brockmann, Stefan; Ziese, Thomas; Nitsche, Andreas; Michel, Janine; Haller, Sebastian; Wilking, Hendrik; Hamouda, Osamah; Corman, Victor M; Drosten, Christian; Schaade, Lars; Wieler, Lothar H; Lampert, Thomas; Albrecht, Stefan; Born, Sabine; Butschalowsky, Hans; Buttmann-Schweiger, Nina; Damerow, Stefan; Ellert, Ute; Fiebig, Julia; Franke, Andrea; Gräf, Julian; Gundlach, Jasmin; Hey, Isabell; Hinck, Sebastian; Hintze, Marcel; Hölling, Heike; Houben, Robin; Hüther, Antje; Krugmann, Melanie; Kubisch, Ulrike; Kuhnert, Ronny; Kuttig, Tim A.; Lange, Michael; Meisegeier, Stefan; Müters, Stephan; Offergeld, Ruth; Perlitz, Hanna; Poethko-Müller, Christina; Pöplow do Rego, Ute; Prütz, Franziska; Sandoni, Anna; Sarganas, Giselle; Schöne, Gina; Stahlberg, Silke; Strandmark, Julia; Thamm, Roma; Vogelgesang, Felicitas; Wachtler, Benjamin; Wernitz, Jörg; Wetzstein, Matthias; Wolff, Christin

Three months after a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Kupferzell, Germany, a population-based study (n = 2,203) found no RT-PCR-positives. IgG-ELISA seropositivity with positive virus neutralisation tests was 7.7% (95% confidence interval (CI): 6.5–9.1) and 4.3% with negative neutralisation tests. We estimate 12.0% (95% CI: 10.4–14.0%) infected adults (24.5% asymptomatic), six times more than notified. Full hotspot containment confirms the effectiveness of prompt protection measures. However, 88% naïve adults are still at high COVID-19 risk.