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Actual surveys in kindergartens on SARS-CoV-2 infections are rare. At the beginning of the second pandemic wave, we screened 12 randomly selected kindergartens in Berlin, Germany. A total of 720 participants (pre-school children, staff and connected household members) were briefly examined and interviewed, and SARS-CoV-2 infections and anti-SARS-Cov-2 IgG antibodies were assessed. About a quarter of the participants showed common cold-resembling symptoms. However, no SARS-CoV-2 infection was detected, and only one childcare worker showed IgG seroreactivity. Against a backdrop of increased pandemic activity in the community, this cross-sectional study does not suggest that kindergartens are silent transmission reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Giardia duodenalis is a major cause of gastroenteritis globally, and is the most common food- and waterborne parasitic infection in Europe.AimTo describe the epidemiology of reported acute giardiasis cases in Germany and compare demographic and clinical characteristics between imported and autochthonous cases.MethodsWe conducted a descriptive analysis of giardiasis cases that fulfilled the national case definition and were reported between January 2002 and December 2021. We defined an imported case as having at least one place of exposure abroad in the 3-25 days before symptom onset. We analysed case numbers and incidence by age, sex, month reported and geographic region, both overall and stratified by autochthonous and imported cases.ResultsFrom 2002 to 2021, 72,318 giardiasis cases were reported in Germany, corresponding to a mean annual incidence of 4.4 per 100,000 population. Annual incidence gradually decreased since 2013, declining sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21. Of 69,345 cases reported between 2002 and 2019, 35% were imported. Incidence of autochthonous cases (overall yearly mean: 3.1/100,000) was highest in males and young children (< 5 years); imported cases were predominantly adults aged 20-39 years. We identified seasonal patterns for imported and autochthonous cases.ConclusionsGiardiasis in Germany is typically assumed to be imported. Our data, however, underline the importance of autochthonous giardiasis. Travel advice might reduce imported infections, but prevention strategies for autochthonous infections are less clear. Dietary, behavioural and environmental risk factors need to be further investigated to enhance infection prevention measures for autochthonous giardiasis.

Competing Interests: Es bestehen keine finanziellen oder persönlichen Interessenkonflikte. Aus Transparenzgründen möchten die Autor:innen folgende Hintergründe erläutern: L. Arnold, L. Kellermann, F. Hommes, L. Jung, S. Gepp, F. Fischer und J. M. Stratil sind Mitglieder im Nachwuchsnetzwerk Öffentliche Gesundheit, einer informellen Plattform zum Austausch und der Vernetzung zwischen Studierenden, Nachwuchskräften und an Nachwuchsförderung Interessierten (https://noeg.org/). L. Arnold koordiniert im das Forschungsprojekt EvidenzÖGD, das darauf abzielt, neue Qualifizierungsmodelle für die Schnittstelle zwischen Wissenschaft und Praxis im ÖGD zu erarbeiten (https://www.akademie-oegw.de/die-akademie/projekte/evidenzoegd). L. Jung und S. Gepp waren 2018/2019 im erweiterten Vorstand der Bundesvertretung der Medizinstudierenden in Deutschland (bvmd e. V.). J.M. Stratil und F. Hommes haben während der Projektlaufzeit eine berufliche Tätigkeit am Robert Koch Institut (RKI) aufgenommen. Das RKI war in keiner Form an dieser Studie oder an der Erstellung des Manuskripts beteiligt. B. Szagun ist Beisitzer im Bundesvorstand des Bundesverbands der Ärztinnen und Ärzte des öffentlichen Gesundheitsdienstes e. V. (BVÖGD). Der Inhalt dieses Manuskripts kann, muss aber nicht die Position einer Institution widerspiegeln, mit der die Autor:innen verbunden sind, die aber nicht als Zugehörigkeit der Autor:innen zu diesem Manuskript genannt wird. Wir erheben nicht den Anspruch, die Organisationen in dieser Hinsicht in irgendeiner Form zu vertreten.

Background: Public health actors contribute significantly to health protection, promotion, and prevention at the population level. An overview of the public health landscape can facilitate collaboration among the stakeholders and increase transparency of career paths for young professionals., Objectives: This study aims to develop an overview and category system of supra-regional public health actors in Germany., Methods: Based on a list of institutional actors that participated in the national conference Future Forum Public Health ("Zukunftsforum Public Health") and a targeted online search by the authors, supra-regional institutions and organizations with a public health focus were identified. All actors were screened independently by ≥ 2 authors. Community-level actors as well as those without a direct public health focus were excluded. Additional actors were identified via a snowballing process. In order to cluster the actors thematically, a category system was formed inductively., Results: Out of a total of 645 screened actors, 307 (47.6%) were included and subsequently assigned to 12 main and 30 subcategories. Professional associations (n = 60) made up the largest category, followed by civil society (n = 49) and state actors (n = 40). In addition to a tabular and graphical overview, an interactive visualization of the actors was created ( www.noeg.org )., Conclusions: This study provides a comprehensive overview of supra-regional institutional public health actors in Germany and highlights the breadth of the German public health landscape. The results of this work offer new opportunities for collaboration and can support young professionals in their career paths. Building on this work, further research on public health actors is recommended., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

The COVID-19 pandemic has both exposed and intensified various challenges for Public Health and the Public Health service (ÖGD) in Germany. However, it also offers a window of opportunity for effective long-term transformation of the country's Public Health system. Against this backdrop, an online survey was carried out among the members of the German Network of Young Professionals in Public Health (Nachwuchsnetzwerk Öffentliche Gesundheit (NÖG)) in October and November 2020. It sought to elicit members' experiences and views related to Public Health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The resulting preliminary "lessons learned" for the German Public Health context are presented in this article. Based on the results of the survey, recommendations were formulated which are intended to provide targeted and concrete advice for the strengthening and transformation of Public Health in Germany. The main issues that preoccupied the young professionals were the increased public and political attention to Public Health and the narrow focus on infectious disease control, the standing of Public Health in Germany and the strengths and weaknesses of Public Health structures and workforce. The recommendations are aimed at promoting long-term and holistic strengthening of Public Health, with the training of an interdisciplinary workforce of young professionals presenting a key focus., Competing Interests: Laura Arnold ist als Referentin für Epidemiologie und Gesundheitsberichterstattung an der Akademie für Öffentliches Gesundheitswesen in Düsseldorf tätig. Die anderen Autor:innen haben keine wirtschaftlichen oder persönlichen Interessenkonflikte., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)