The German National Pandemic Cohort Network (NAPKON): rationale, study design and baseline characteristics

Area of Science:

• Medical Research
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• The German government established the Network University Medicine (NUM) to enhance national research on the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic.
• The National Pandemic Cohort Network (NAPKON) is the largest project within NUM, aiming to create a comprehensive Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cohort in Germany.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish the most extensive COVID-19 cohort in Germany.
• To observe adult and pediatric patients from initial infection up to three years post-diagnosis.
• To facilitate national and international research on COVID-19.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing three complementary cohort platforms: Cross-Sectoral, High-Resolution, and Population-Based.
• Implementing comprehensive clinical and imaging diagnostics, quality-of-life assessments, patient-reported outcomes, and biosampling.
• Leveraging four infrastructure core units (Interaction, Biosampling, Epidemiology, Integration) and collaborations with other NUM projects.

Main Results:

• As of April 1, 2022, 5,298 patients were enrolled across 74 hospitals.
• Data quality reviews were completed for 89% of enrolled patients (4,727).
• 44% of patients were hospitalized, 15% required intensive care, and 12% deceased during the study period.

Conclusions:

• NAPKON represents a significant advancement in COVID-19 research infrastructure in Germany.
• The cohort provides valuable data for understanding the long-term impacts of COVID-19.
• The study's design and data collection methods offer a robust foundation for future research activities.