SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in patients and healthcare professionals

So far, there has only been limited information on the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and the duration of immunity after exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, there is still an unmet need to identify risk markers for SARS-CoV-2 infection. This study consists of two parts: 1.) a longitudinal analysis involving up to 3,000 health professionals of the Medical University of Vienna and Vienna General Hospital (AKH), in which their antibody status will be checked six times over a period of twelve months, and 2.) a serial cross-sectional study of samples of 3,000 unselected AKH patients that will be tested at three different times (meaning 9,000 patients in total). The findings of this urgent funding project will provide relevant information on the seroprevalence, the duration of antibody detection, and whether these can serve as indicators of immunity and possible reinfection.