African authorship on African papers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Naidoo, Antoinette Vanessa; Hodkinson, Peter; King, Lauren Lai; Wallis, Lee

doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2020-004612

Cited by 46 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…For these reasons, we expected all these factors to contribute to an escalation of the transmission of COVID-19 in Cameroon. Unfortunately, less than 3.9% of scientific reports on COVID-19 have originated from Africa [8] and very few from Cameroon [9]. To fill this gap, the study sought to describe clinical features of COVID-19 infection and risk factors for patients admitted in the Djoungolo Hospital COVID-19 treatment centre in Cameroon.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clinical profile and factors associated with COVID-19 in Yaounde, Cameroon: A prospective cohort study

et al. 2021

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Background A year after the COVID-19 pandemic started, there are still few scientific reports on COVID-19 in Africa. This study explores the clinical profiles and factors associated with COVID-19 in Cameroon. Materials and methods In this prospective cohort study, we followed patients admitted for suspicion of COVID-19 at Djoungolo Hospital between 01st April and 31st July 2020. Patients were categorised by age groups and disease severity: mild (symptomatic without clinical signs of pneumonia), moderate (with clinical signs of pneumonia without respiratory distress) and severe cases (clinical signs of pneumonia and respiratory distress not requiring invasive ventilation). Demographic information and clinical features were summarised. Multivariable analysis was performed to predict risk. Findings A total of 313 patients were admitted during the study period; 259 were confirmed cases of COVID-19 by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Among the confirmed cases, the male group aged 40 to 49 years (13.9%) was predominant. Disease severity ranged from mild (26.2%; n = 68) to moderate (59%; n = 153) to severe (14.7%; n = 38); the case fatality rate was 1% (n = 4). Dysgusia (46%; n = 119) and hyposmia/anosmia (37.8%; n = 98) were common features of COVID-19. Nearly one-third of patients had comorbidities (29%; n = 53), of which hypertension was the most common (18.9%; n = 49). Participation in mass gatherings (Odds Ratio (OR) = 2.37; P = 0.03) and dysgusia (OR = 2.09, P = 0.02) were predictive of diagnosis of COVID-19. Age groups 60 to 69 (OR = 7.41; P = 0.0001), 50 to 59 (OR = 4.09; P = 0.03), 40 to 49 (OR = 4.54; P = 0.01), male gender (OR = 2.53; P = 0.04), diabetes (OR = 4.05; P = 0.01), HIV infection (OR = 5.57; P = 0.03), lung disease (OR = 6.29; P = 0.01), dyspnoea (OR = 3.70; P = 0.008) and fatigue (OR = 3.35; P = 0.02) significantly predicted COVID-19 severity. Conclusions Most COVID-19 cases in this study were benign with low fatality. Age (40–70), male gender, HIV infection, lung disease, dyspnoea and fatigue are associated with severe COVID-19. Such findings may guide public health decision-making.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clinical profile and factors associated with COVID-19 in Yaounde, Cameroon: A prospective cohort study

et al. 2021

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“…Articles reflecting only an external perspective neglect valuable insights into the realities and nuances of the local system that authors and actors in LMICs can provide. 4 We want to ensure that in-country authors are engaged and meaningfully contributing to documenting and making sense of practice-based evidence.…”

Section: Promoting Local Voices and Perspectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

What Potential Authors Should Know About Publishing in Global Health: Science and Practice

Hodgins

Abraham²

2021

Glob Health Sci Pract

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“…For example, between January and September of 2020, just 4.3% of research articles about COVID-19 were focused on Africa or a specific African nation. [1] Given that ongoing prevention strategies implemented at the country, community, and individual level will be needed to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical to study health beliefs and adherence to prevention behaviors within specific social and political contexts. [2] Providing relevant and timely research is essential for guiding evidence-based outreach and interventions, especially during public health emergencies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A cross-sectional study of COVID-19 knowledge, beliefs and prevention behaviors among adults in Senegal

Kearney

Bornstein

Fall

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Background: COVID-19 is an ongoing threat to global public health since its emergence at the end of 2019, yet little is known about how populations in francophone West Africa have responded to COVID-19 in their daily lives. Senegal, in particular, has been noted for its relative success in mitigating the spread and impact of COVID-19. We report original research findings on COVID-19 beliefs and prevention behaviors in a sample of Senegalese adults. Methods: A multi-modal cross-sectional study was conducted to describe COVID-19 beliefs and prevention behaviors in a sample of Senegalese adults and to identify potential predictors of prevention behaviors. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistics were generated to describe the sample and explore potential correlations. Results: Mask wearing, hand washing, and use of hand sanitizer were most frequently reported. Social distancing and staying at home were also reported albeit to a lower degree. We also identified a range of psychosocial and demographic predictors for COVID-19 prevention behaviors. Men, compared to women, had lower odds (OR=0.59) of reporting prevention behaviors. Rural residents (vs. urban; OR=1.49) and participants with at least a high school education (vs. less than high school education; OR=1.33) were more likely to report COVID-19 prevention behaviors. Discussion: Stakeholders and decision makers in Senegal and across Africa can use place-based evidence like ours to address COVID-19 risk factors and intervene effectively with policies and programming. Use of both phone and online surveys enhances representation and study generalizability and should be considered in future research with hard-to-reach populations.

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African authorship on African papers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Cited by 46 publications

References 7 publications

Clinical profile and factors associated with COVID-19 in Yaounde, Cameroon: A prospective cohort study

Clinical profile and factors associated with COVID-19 in Yaounde, Cameroon: A prospective cohort study

What Potential Authors Should Know About Publishing in Global Health: Science and Practice

A cross-sectional study of COVID-19 knowledge, beliefs and prevention behaviors among adults in Senegal

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