International Journal of Public Health (Feb 2022)
The Corona Immunitas Digital Follow-Up eCohort to Monitor Impacts of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic in Switzerland: Study Protocol and First Results
- Alexandre Speierer,
- Alexandre Speierer,
- Patricia O. Chocano-Bedoya,
- Patricia O. Chocano-Bedoya,
- Daniela Anker,
- Alexia Schmid,
- Dirk Keidel,
- Dirk Keidel,
- Thomas Vermes,
- Thomas Vermes,
- Medea Imboden,
- Medea Imboden,
- Sara Levati,
- Giovanni Franscella,
- Laurie Corna,
- Rebecca Amati,
- Erika Harju,
- Chantal Luedi,
- Gisela Michel,
- Caroline Veys-Takeuchi,
- Claire Zuppinger,
- Semira Gonseth Nusslé,
- Valérie D’Acremont,
- Ismaël Tall,
- Éric Salberg,
- Hélène Baysson,
- Hélène Baysson,
- Elsa Lorthe,
- Francesco Pennacchio,
- Anja Frei,
- Marco Kaufmann,
- Marco Geigges,
- Erin Ashley West,
- Nathalie Schwab,
- Nathalie Schwab,
- Stéphane Cullati,
- Stéphane Cullati,
- Arnaud Chiolero,
- Arnaud Chiolero,
- Christian Kahlert,
- Christian Kahlert,
- Silvia Stringhini,
- Silvia Stringhini,
- Silvia Stringhini,
- Fabian Vollrath,
- Nicole Probst-Hensch,
- Nicole Probst-Hensch,
- Nicolas Rodondi,
- Nicolas Rodondi,
- Milo A. Puhan,
- Viktor von Wyl
Affiliations
- Alexandre Speierer
- Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Alexandre Speierer
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Patricia O. Chocano-Bedoya
- Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Patricia O. Chocano-Bedoya
- Population Health Laboratory (#PopHealthLab), University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
- Daniela Anker
- Population Health Laboratory (#PopHealthLab), University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
- Alexia Schmid
- Institute of Family Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
- Dirk Keidel
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- Dirk Keidel
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Thomas Vermes
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- Thomas Vermes
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Medea Imboden
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- Medea Imboden
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Sara Levati
- Department of Business Economics, Health and Social Care, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Lugano, Switzerland
- Giovanni Franscella
- Institute of Public Health, Faculty of BioMedicine, Università Della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
- Laurie Corna
- Institute of Public Health, Faculty of BioMedicine, Università Della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
- Rebecca Amati
- Institute of Public Health, Faculty of BioMedicine, Università Della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
- Erika Harju
- Department of Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Luzern, Luzern, Switzerland
- Chantal Luedi
- Department of Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Luzern, Luzern, Switzerland
- Gisela Michel
- Department of Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Luzern, Luzern, Switzerland
- Caroline Veys-Takeuchi
- 0Department of Epidemiology and Health Systems, Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), Lausanne University, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Claire Zuppinger
- 0Department of Epidemiology and Health Systems, Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), Lausanne University, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Semira Gonseth Nusslé
- 0Department of Epidemiology and Health Systems, Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), Lausanne University, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Valérie D’Acremont
- 1Department of Research and Innovation, Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), Lausanne University, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Ismaël Tall
- 2Cantonal Public Health Service, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Éric Salberg
- 2Cantonal Public Health Service, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Hélène Baysson
- 3Department of Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Hélène Baysson
- 4Unit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Elsa Lorthe
- 4Unit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Francesco Pennacchio
- 4Unit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Anja Frei
- 5Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, Zurich, Switzerland
- Marco Kaufmann
- 5Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, Zurich, Switzerland
- Marco Geigges
- 5Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, Zurich, Switzerland
- Erin Ashley West
- 5Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, Zurich, Switzerland
- Nathalie Schwab
- Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Nathalie Schwab
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Stéphane Cullati
- Population Health Laboratory (#PopHealthLab), University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
- Stéphane Cullati
- 6Department of Readaptation and Geriatrics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Arnaud Chiolero
- Population Health Laboratory (#PopHealthLab), University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
- Arnaud Chiolero
- 7School of Population and Global Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Christian Kahlert
- 8Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
- Christian Kahlert
- 9Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Switzerland, St. Gallen, Switzerland
- Silvia Stringhini
- 3Department of Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Silvia Stringhini
- 4Unit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Silvia Stringhini
- 0University Center for General Medicine and Public Health, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Fabian Vollrath
- 1Corona Immunitas Program Management Group, Swiss School of Public Health, Zurich, Switzerland
- Nicole Probst-Hensch
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- Nicole Probst-Hensch
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Nicolas Rodondi
- Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Nicolas Rodondi
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Milo A. Puhan
- 5Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, Zurich, Switzerland
- Viktor von Wyl
- 2Institute for Implementation Science in Health Care, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3389/ijph.2022.1604506
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 67
Abstract
Objectives: To describe the rationale, organization, and procedures of the Corona Immunitas Digital Follow-Up (CI-DFU) eCohort and to characterize participants at baseline.Methods: Participants of Corona Immunitas, a population-based nationwide SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence study in Switzerland, were invited to join the CI-DFU eCohort in 11 study centres. Weekly online questonnaires cover health status changes, prevention measures adherence, and social impacts. Monthly questionnaires cover additional prevention adherence, contact tracing apps use, vaccination and vaccine hesitancy, and socio-economic changes.Results: We report data from the 5 centres that enrolled in the CI-DFU between June and October 2020 (covering Basel City/Land, Fribourg, Neuchâtel, Ticino, Zurich). As of February 2021, 4636 participants were enrolled and 85,693 weekly and 27,817 monthly questionnaires were collected. Design-based oversampling led to overrepresentation of individuals aged 65+ years. People with higher education and income were more likely to enroll and be retained.Conclusion: Broad enrolment and robust retention of participants enables scientifically sound monitoring of pandemic impacts, prevention, and vaccination progress. The CI-DFU eCohort demonstrates proof-of-principle for large-scale, federated eCohort study designs based on jointly agreed principles and transparent governance.
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