The corona antibody study in Magdeburg has ended. The goal of 3000 blood samples was not quite achieved with 2776.
Magdeburg / Braunschweig l Even if the targeted number of 3000 test subjects for the corona antibody study has not been reached, the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI) Braunschweig as the organizer draws a positive conclusion of the four-week campaign in Magdeburg. “These are very good figures,” said Andreas Fischer, press spokesman for the HZI, when asked. Compared to other cities in which blood samples were also taken from volunteers for the study, the response in Magdeburg was good.
Before the blood sample was taken, around 9,000 people from Magdeburg were randomly selected and written to. Participation was voluntary. A test center was set up for four weeks in a former old people’s home on Budenbergstrasse. Volunteers from the Magdeburg regional association of the Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe took care of registration, questioning and taking blood. Twelve Johanniter employees, many of them paramedics, were employed six days a week. About 130 blood samples were taken per day. At times they were supported by forces from the Maltese.
Stephan Klauert, regional director of Johanniter, also drew a positive conclusion of the campaign after the four weeks. “Everything went well. It was also positive that the people of Magdeburg were very interested in the study. Some got in touch and wanted to participate as well. If it hadn’t been just a cover letter, more would certainly have participated, ”says Stephan Klauert.
Second round in spring 2021
With the study, the HZI hopes to shed light on how many people in Germany have already gone through an infection and thus built up a suspected immunity to Sars-CoV-2. You also want to see which people are infected and which occupational and age groups are particularly affected. The findings should, among other things, have an influence on the vaccination strategies and the vaccination recommendations.
Results of the Magdeburg test series are not yet available. “We are still in the process of analyzing the information and we hope that we can publish the first results at the beginning of next year,” said the HZI spokesman. In addition, the HZI is planning a second test run in Magdeburg in the new year. According to the current status, this is planned for the period from April 7th to May 5th, 2021.
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