SARS-CoV-2 InfectionPoliCOVNCT04643444
Police COVID-19 Serosurvey
An observational study of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Volunteers, run by University of Bern at 1 site in Switzerland.
Trial summary
The investigators aim to determine the immune status of the employees of the cantonal police of Bern against SARS-CoV-2 over a period of 1 year, and to investigate the risk profile of the study participants and their risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in their working and private environments, as well as to evaluate the use… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- SARS-CoV-2 Infection, Volunteers, Healthy
- What is being tested?
- Blood sampling and Online Questionnaire
- How many people
- 1,024 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSwitzerland
- Study dates
- 9 Feb 2021to 30 Jun 2022
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: Employees of the cantonal police of Bern, Switzerland
Who may be able to join
- Police officers of the cantonal police of Bern volunteering to participate in the study.
Who cannot join
- Refusal or inability to give informed consent or contraindication to venepuncture.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Switzerland1 site
University of Bern, Institute for Infectious Diseases
Bern, Canton of Bern, 3010
About this study
Official title: Police Officer COVID-19 Seroprevalence Survey in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland
The investigators aim to determine the immune status of the employees of the cantonal police of Bern against SARS-CoV-2 over a period of 1 year, and to investigate the risk profile of the study participants and their risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in their working and private environments, as well as to evaluate the use of personal protective equipment at potential exposure instances.
Read the detailed description
- To determine the extent of infection with seroprevalence data in the special population of police officers of the canton Bern. ii) To determine risk factors for infection by comparing the proportion of seropositivity (infected versus noninfected individuals). The investigators hypothesize that police officers with fieldwork activity will have a higher seroprevalence than will office and administration personnel. The investigators hypothesize that working in the city of Bern will be associated with a higher seroprevalence than will working in other geographic areas of the canton (i.e. rural area). iii) To monitor COVID-19 antibody titres and neutralizing capacity over time and to associate them with reinfection rates and infection-free intervals in police officers after accidental contact with a proven COVID-19 case. The investigators hypothesize that in seropositive individuals, there will be a decreasing dynamic of antibody titres over the one-year study period, and hence, a decrease of neutralizing capacity.
- Conditions
- SARS-CoV-2 Infection, Volunteers, Healthy
- Being tested
- Blood sampling, Online Questionnaire
- Keywords
- COVID-19, SARS-COV-2, Antibodies, Seroprevalence
- Medical subject headings
- COVID-19
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Blood samplingDiagnostic test
Testing for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies
Online QuestionnaireOther
Questions on working place, risk profiles and PPE
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Seroprevalence
The variable of primary interest is COVID-19 seropositivity. This variable is measured at five time points over the one-year study period. The following baseline factors may have an influence on the primary endpoint and will be obtained: (i) pre-existing comorbidities, (ii) rural versus city distribution of working place, and (iii) office work versus field work.
Measured: One year
Secondary outcomes (1)
Risk profile assessment
The investigators will assess the proportion of symptomatic and asymptomatic cases among seropositive participants. The investigators will calculate the attack rate in different subgroup. These include (i) study participants with health-related risk factors (age>50 and age>60 years, diabetes, arterial hypertension, cardiovascular disease, chronic pulmonary disease, immune-compromised status due to host diseases, medical treatment, cancer, obesity), (ii) activity-related subgroups (i.e. fieldwork vs office activity), (iii) geography-related subgroups (i.e. city vs rural areas). In follow-up visits, the antibody titers (i.e. dynamic) and the neutralization capacity will be assessed. Thereby, the investigators will determine the change in serum levels of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies over time in seropositive participants.
Measured: One year
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted25 Nov 2020
- Study start9 Feb 2021
- Primary completion30 Jun 2022
- Study completion30 Jun 2022
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for SARS-CoV-2 InfectionStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of BernThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 1,024 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Bern
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Interregionale Blutspende SRK Bern
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Parham Sendi, MD, Principal investigator, University of Bern
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04643444
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2020-02650
- Acronym
- PoliCOV
- Status last verified
- Nov 2025
- First submitted
- 19 Nov 2020
- Last updated
- 21 Nov 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Sendi P, Baldan R, Thierstein M, Widmer N, Gowland P, Gahl B, Buchi AE, Guntensperger D, Wider M, Blum MR, Tinguely C, Maillat C, Theel ES, Berbari E, Dijkman R, Niederhauser C. A Multidimensional Cross-Sectional Analysis of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Seroprevalence Among a Police Officer Cohort: The PoliCOV-19 Study. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2021 Oct 16;8(12):ofab524. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofab524. eCollection 2021 Dec.
PubMed 34888394
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 21 Nov 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Police Officer COVID-19 Seroprevalence Survey in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04643444
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- PoliCOV / 2020-02650
- Conditions
- SARS-CoV-2 Infection, Volunteers, Healthy
- Keywords
- COVID-19, SARS-COV-2, Antibodies, Seroprevalence
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 1,024 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of BernUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Interregionale Blutspende SRK Bern
- Study start
- 9 Feb 2021 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Jun 2022 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 Jun 2022 (actual)
- First posted
- 25 Nov 2020 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The investigators aim to determine the immune status of the employees of the cantonal police of Bern against SARS-CoV-2 over a period of 1 year, and to investigate the risk profile of the study participants and their risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in their working and private environments, as well as to evaluate the use of personal protective equipment at potential exposure instances.
Detailed description
- To determine the extent of infection with seroprevalence data in the special population of police officers of the canton Bern. ii) To determine risk factors for infection by comparing the proportion of seropositivity (infected versus noninfected individuals). The investigators hypothesize that police officers with fieldwork activity will have a higher seroprevalence than will office and administration personnel. The investigators hypothesize that working in the city of Bern will be associated with a higher seroprevalence than will working in other geographic areas of the canton (i.e. rural area). iii) To monitor COVID-19 antibody titres and neutralizing capacity over time and to associate them with reinfection rates and infection-free intervals in police officers after accidental contact with a proven COVID-19 case. The investigators hypothesize that in seropositive individuals, there will be a decreasing dynamic of antibody titres over the one-year study period, and hence, a decrease of neutralizing capacity.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Employees of the cantonal police of Bern, Switzerland
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Police officers of the cantonal police of Bern volunteering to participate in the study.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Refusal or inability to give informed consent or contraindication to venepuncture.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Blood samplingTesting for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies | Diagnostic test | – |
| Online QuestionnaireQuestions on working place, risk profiles and PPE | Other | – |
Primary outcome
Seroprevalence
Time frame: One year
The variable of primary interest is COVID-19 seropositivity. This variable is measured at five time points over the one-year study period. The following baseline factors may have an influence on the primary endpoint and will be obtained: (i) pre-existing comorbidities, (ii) rural versus city distribution of working place, and (iii) office work versus field work.
1 secondary outcome
Risk profile assessment
Time frame: One year
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 21 Nov 2025.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 34888394Sendi P, Baldan R, Thierstein M, Widmer N, Gowland P, Gahl B, Buchi AE, Guntensperger D, Wider M, Blum MR, Tinguely C, Maillat C, Theel ES, Berbari E, Dijkman R, Niederhauser C. A Multidimensional Cross-Sectional Analysis of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Seroprevalence Among a Police Officer Cohort: The PoliCOV-19 Study. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2021 Oct 16;8(12):ofab524. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofab524. eCollection 2021 Dec.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Parham Sendi, MD principal investigator
University of Bern
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Volunteers, run by University of Bern at 1 site in Switzerland.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 21 Nov 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Switzerland. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Seroprevalence (time frame: One year). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04643444, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 21 Nov 2025.