Würzburg.What is the actual spread of the coronavirus in Würzburg? Who is already immune And how does the corona pandemic affect body, mind and soul with and without infection? Patients with heart disease are particularly at risk from the virus. In the Staab study (frequency and factors influencing early stages A and B of heart failure in the population), the German Center for Heart Failure (DZHI) has been looking for precursors to heart failure for seven years and now also for coronavirus and antibodies to answer these questions .
5000 Würzburgers participate
With the support of the city of Würzburg and Lord Mayor Christian Schuchardt, 5000 Würzburg residents were invited to extensive investigations.
This group is the project manager Prof. Dr. Stefan Störk and Prof. Dr. Peter U. Heuschmann unique because she can find out which risk factors favor a Covid infection and lead to a severe course of the disease.
The Bavarian State Ministry for Science and Art supports the program with 1.5 million euros. Science Minister Bernd Sibler takes over the patronage together with the city of Würzburg.
“The Würzburg Staab program offers Bavaria the unique opportunity to receive crucial information very quickly and with high reliability on the degree of distribution, the level of antibody prevalence and the psycho-social and medical effects,” commented Bavaria’s Minister of Science Bernd Sibler. “It will help to identify and protect special risk groups in the population”.
23 milliliters of blood, a signed declaration of consent to participate in the study and a completed questionnaire on changes in lifestyle and the effects of social distancing during the Corona crisis – this includes the first investigation, which runs from now until mid-September.
The first results on the epidemic and the proportion of the population that has already produced antibodies are expected in September.
Further investigations are planned. “The detailed descriptions of the effects of social distancing are also important information for health policy,” explains Prof. Dr. Peter U. Heuschmann, Head of the Institute for Clinical Epidemiology (IKE-B).
After the basic examination, a throat swab is planned, which each study participant takes at a certain point in time. “This selective throat swab allows an instant snapshot of the Würzburg population,” says Prof. Dr. Stefan Störk, Head of Clinical Research and Epidemiology of Heart Failure at the DZHI, adds: “Our data sets are collected so that a direct comparison between other regions in Germany is possible, in which comparable studies are carried out.”
Better preparation
And what are the personal benefits of the subjects when participating in the study? Prof. Dr. Georg Ertl, Medical Director of the Würzburg University Hospital, replies: “For example, the study participants can find out free of charge whether they are protected by antibodies. And repeated tests can help us predict a second wave of the pandemic and also prepare the region for it. ”
© Franconian News, Tuesday, July 14th, 2020
–
