COVID-19 positive cases among asymptomatic individuals during the second wave in Ndola, Zambia
African Journal of Laboratory Medicine
| Field | Value | |
| Title | COVID-19 positive cases among asymptomatic individuals during the second wave in Ndola, Zambia | |
| Creator | Gwasupika, Jonathan Daka, Victor Chileshe, Justin Mukosha, Moses Mudenda, Steward Mukanga, Bright Mfune, Ruth L. Chongwe, Gershom | |
| Description | Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a worldwide public health concern for healthcare workers. About 80% of cases appear to be asymptomatic, and about 3% may experience hospitalisation and later die. Less than 20% of studies have looked at the positivity rate of asymptomatic individuals.Objective: This study investigated the COVID-19 positivity rates among asymptomatic individuals during the second COVID-19 wave at one of Zambia’s largest testing centre.Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study conducted on routine surveillance and laboratory data at the Tropical Diseases Research Centre COVID-19 laboratory in Ndola, Zambia, from 01 December 2020 to 31 March 2021. The study population was made up of persons that had tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection as a requirement for travel. Microsoft Excel was used to come up with an epidemiological curve of daily COVID-19 positive cases; proportions for gender were described using frequencies and percentages.Results: A total of 11 144 asymptomatic individuals tested for SARS-CoV-2 were sampled for the study and 1781 (16.0%) returned positive results. The median age among those tested was 36 years (interquartile range: 29–46). Testing for COVID-19 peaked in the month of January 2021 (37.4%) and declined in March 2021 (21.0%). The epidemiological curve showed a combination of continuous and propagated point-source transmission.Conclusion: The positivity rate of 16.0% among asymptomatic individuals was high and could imply continued community transmission, especially during January 2021 and February 2021. We recommend heightened testing for SARS-CoV-2 among asymptomatic individuals.What this study adds: This study adds critical knowledge to the transmission of COVID-19 among asymptomatic travellers who are usually a key population in driving community infection. This knowledge is critical in instituting evidence-based interventions in the screening and management of travellers, and its control. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2023-05-31 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/ajlm.v12i1.2119 | |
| Source | African Journal of Laboratory Medicine; Vol 12, No 1 (2023); 5 pages 2225-2010 2225-2002 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://ajlmonline.org/index.php/ajlm/article/view/2119/2680
https://ajlmonline.org/index.php/ajlm/article/view/2119/2681
https://ajlmonline.org/index.php/ajlm/article/view/2119/2682
https://ajlmonline.org/index.php/ajlm/article/view/2119/2683
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