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Original Article
Epidemiological, virological and clinical features of SARS-CoV-2 among individuals during the first wave in Cameroon: Baseline analysis for the EDCTP PERFECT-Study RIA2020EF-3000
Journal of Public Health in Africa | Vol 13, No 1 | a396 |
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4081/jphia.2022.2142
| © 2024 Joseph Fokam, Désiré Takou, Alex D. Nka, Aude C. Ka’e, Bouba Yagai, Collins A. Chenwi, Ezechiel N.J. Semengue, Grâce A. Beloumou, Sandrine C.D. Ndjeyep, Aissatou Abba, Willy Pabo, Davy Gouissi, Michel C.T. Tchouaket, Laeticia Yatchou, Krystel Zam, Lucien Mama, Regine C. Ekitti, Nadine Fainguem, Rachel Kamgaing, Samuel M. Sosso, Nicaise Ndembi, Vittorio Colizzi, Carlo-Federico Perno, Alexis Ndjolo
| This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 10 April 2024 | Published: 24 May 2022
Submitted: 10 April 2024 | Published: 24 May 2022
About the author(s)
Joseph Fokam, Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB), Yaoundé; Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, CameroonDésiré Takou, Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB), Yaoundé, Cameroon
Alex D. Nka, Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB), Yaoundé; University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; Evangelical University of Cameroon, Bandjoun, Cameroon
Aude C. Ka’e, Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB), Yaoundé; University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; Evangelical University of Cameroon, Bandjoun, Cameroon
Bouba Yagai, Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB), Yaoundé, Cameroon; University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
Collins A. Chenwi, Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB), Yaoundé; Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
Ezechiel N.J. Semengue, Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB), Yaoundé; University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; Evangelical University of Cameroon, Bandjoun, Cameroon
Grâce A. Beloumou, Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB), Yaoundé, Cameroon
Sandrine C.D. Ndjeyep, Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB), Yaoundé, Cameroon
Aissatou Abba, Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB), Yaoundé, Cameroon
Willy Pabo, Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB), Yaoundé, Cameroon
Davy Gouissi, Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB), Yaoundé, Cameroon
Michel C.T. Tchouaket, Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB), Yaoundé, Cameroon
Laeticia Yatchou, Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB), Yaoundé, Cameroon
Krystel Zam, Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB), Yaoundé, Cameroon
Lucien Mama, Cite Verte Health District, Delegation of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
Regine C. Ekitti, Police Medical Centre, Yaoundé, Cameroon
Nadine Fainguem, Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB), Yaoundé; University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; Evangelical University of Cameroon, Bandjoun, Cameroon
Rachel Kamgaing, Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB), Yaoundé, Cameroon
Samuel M. Sosso, 1Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB), Yaoundé, Cameroon
Nicaise Ndembi, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Vittorio Colizzi, Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB), Yaoundé; University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; Evangelical University of Cameroon, Bandjoun, Cameroon
Carlo-Federico Perno, Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB), Yaoundé; IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, Rome, Italy
Alexis Ndjolo, Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB), Yaoundé; Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
Full Text:
PDF (538KB)Abstract
In Cameroon, COVID-19 infection spread rapidly and nationwide, with up to 721 deaths reported. To the best of our knowledge, no study reported the on-theground data using a large patients’ dataset to give a comprehensive knowledge on COVID-19 pandemic in Cameroon. The objective of this study was to shade lights on the epidemiological, virological and clinical features of COVID-19 in the Cameroonian context. An observational study was conducted among symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals tested for SARS-CoV-2 by PCR on nasopharyngeal samples from April 22nd, 2020 to January 5th, 2021. Out of 14119 individuals (59.8% male), overall SARS-CoV-2 positivity was 12.7% (from 7.9% in 60 years, p10%) and was associated with the presence of symptoms and older age. Most of the infection is among young and asymptomatic individuals, suggesting the “track-and-test” strategy should target these potential transmitters.
Keywords
COVID-19; epidemiology; positivity; viraemia; symptoms; Cameroon
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