TY - JOUR A1 - Kheiroddin, Parastoo A1 - Schöberl, Patricia A1 - Althammer, Michael A1 - Cibali, Ezgi A1 - Würfel, Thea A1 - Wein, Hannah A1 - Kulawik, Birgit A1 - Buntrock-Döpke, Heike A1 - Weigl, Eva A1 - Gran, Silvia A1 - Gründl, Magdalena A1 - Langguth, Jana A1 - Lampl, Benedikt A1 - Judex, Guido A1 - Niggel, Jakob A1 - Pagel, Philipp A1 - Schratzenstaller, Thomas A1 - Schneider-Brachert, Wulf A1 - Gastiger, Susanne A1 - Bodenschatz, Mona A1 - Konrad, Maike A1 - Levchuk, Artem A1 - Roth, Cornelius A1 - Schöner, David A1 - Schneebauer, Florian A1 - Rohrmanstorfer, René A1 - Burkovski, Andreas A1 - Ambrosch, Andreas A1 - Wagner, Thomas A1 - Kabesch, Michael ED - Buonsenso, Danilo T1 - Results of WICOVIR Gargle Pool PCR Testing in German Schools Based on the First 100,000 Tests JF - Frontiers in Pediatrics N2 - Background: Opening schools and keeping children safe from SARS-CoV-2 infections at the same time is urgently needed to protect children from direct and indirect consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve this goal, a safe, efficient, and cost-effective SARS-CoV-2 testing system for schools in addition to standard hygiene measures is necessary. Methods: We implemented the screening WICOVIR concept for schools in the southeast of Germany, which is based on gargling at home, pooling of samples in schools, and assessment of SARS-CoV-2 by pool rRT-PCR, performed decentralized in numerous participating laboratories. Depooling was performed if pools were positive, and results were transmitted with software specifically developed for the project within a day. Here, we report the results after the first 13 weeks in the project. Findings: We developed and implemented the proof-of-concept test system within a pilot phase of 7 weeks based on almost 17,000 participants. After 6 weeks in the main phase of the project, we performed >100,000 tests in total, analyzed in 7,896 pools, identifying 19 cases in >100 participating schools. On average, positive children showed an individual CT value of 31 when identified in the pools. Up to 30 samples were pooled (mean 13) in general, based on school classes and attached school staff. All three participating laboratories detected positive samples reliably with their previously established rRT-PCR standard protocols. When self-administered antigen tests were performed concomitantly in positive cases, only one of these eight tests was positive, and when antigen tests performed after positive pool rRT-PCR results were already known were included, 3 out of 11 truly positive tests were also identified by antigen testing. After 3 weeks of repetitive WICOVIR testing twice weekly, the detection rate of positive children in that cohort decreased significantly from 0.042 to 0.012 (p = 0.008). Interpretation: Repeated gargle pool rRT-PCR testing can be implemented quickly in schools. It is an effective, valid, and well-received test system for schools, superior to antigen tests in sensitivity, acceptance, and costs. KW - children KW - COVID-19 KW - Germany KW - PCR KW - pooling KW - gargle KW - schools KW - pandemic KW - Covid-19 KW - Polymerase-Kettenreaktion KW - Nachweis KW - Schulkind KW - Deutschland Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2021.721518 SN - 2296-2360 VL - 9 PB - frontiers ER - TY - GEN A1 - Stelzer, Vera A1 - Tauwald, Sandra Melina A1 - Vielsmeier, Veronika A1 - Cieplik, Fabian A1 - Kandulski, Arne A1 - Schneider-Brachert, Wulf A1 - Wuensch, Olaf A1 - Rütten, Markus A1 - Krenkel, Lars T1 - Generation, Distribution, and Contagiousness of Surgical Smoke during Tracheotomies T2 - 23. DGLR Fach-Symposium Strömungen mit Ablösung, 09./10. November 2022, Berlin, Deutschland N2 - Surgical smoke has been a little discussed topic in the context of the current pandemic. Surgical smoke is generated during the cauterization of tissue with heat-generating devices and consists of 95% water vapor and 5% cellular debris in the form of particulate matter. In-vivo investigations are performed during tracheotomies where surgical smoke is produced during tissue electrocautery. Furthermore, in-vitro parametric studies to investigate the particle number and size distribution and the spatial distribution of surgical smoke with laser light sheet technique are conducted. The higher the power of the high-frequency-device the larger the particles in size and the higher the resulting particle counts. The images taken show the densest smoke at 40W with artificial saliva. The resulting characteristic size distribution, which may include viruses and bacterial components, confirms that the risk arising from surgical smoke should be considered. Furthermore, the experiments will provide the database for further numerical investigations. Y1 - 2022 UR - https://www.dlr.de/as/Portaldata/5/Resources/dokumente/veranstaltungen/stab_workshop/Jahresbericht2022.pdf CY - Göttingen ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Stelzer, Vera A1 - Tauwald, Sandra Melina A1 - Vielsmeier, Veronika A1 - Cieplik, Fabian A1 - Kandulski, Arne A1 - Schneider-Brachert, Wulf A1 - Wünsch, Olaf A1 - Rütten, Markus A1 - Krenkel, Lars ED - Dillman, Andreas ED - Heller, Gerd ED - Kraemer, Ewald ED - Wagner, Claus ED - Weiss, Julien T1 - Generation and Distribution of Surgical Smoke During High Frequency Electrocauterization T2 - New Results in Numerical and Experimental Fluid Mechanics XIV. STAB/DGLR Symposium 2022 N2 - Surgical Smoke is generated during the cauterization of tissue with high-frequency (HF) devices and consists of 95% water vapor and 5% cellular debris. When the coagulation tweezers, which are supplied with HF voltage by the HF device, touch tissue, the electric circuit is closed, and smoke is generated by the heat. In-vivo investigations are performed during tracheotomies where surgical smoke is produced during coagulation of tissue. Furthermore, in-vitro parametric studies to investigate the particle number and size distribution and the spatial distribution of surgical smoke with laser light sheet technique are conducted. With higher power of the HF device, the particles generated are larger in size and the total number of particles generated is also higher. Adding artificial saliva to the tissue shows even higher particle counts. The study by laser light sheet also confirms this. The resulting characteristic size distribution, which may include viruses and bacterial components, confirms considering the risk arising from surgical smoke. Furthermore, the experiments will provide the database for further numerical investigations. KW - Surgical smoke KW - Fluid Mechanics KW - Aerosols KW - Tracheotomies Y1 - 2023 SN - 978-3-031-40481-8 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-40482-5_53 SP - 559 EP - 568 PB - Springer Nature Switzerland AG CY - Cham, Switzerland ER -