An investigation of a hundred COVID-19 cases and close contacts in Ethiopia, May to June, 2020: A prospective case-ascertained study

Abstract

Background Corona Virus Disease 2019 is a novel respiratory disease commonly transmitted through respiratory droplets. The disease has currently expanded all over the world with differing epidemiologic trajectories. This investigation was conducted to determine the basic clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the disease in Ethiopia. Methods A prospective case-ascertained study of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases and their close contacts were conducted. The study included 100 COVID-19 laboratory-confirmed cases reported from May 15, 2020 to June 15, 2020 and 300 close contacts. Epidemiological and clinical information were collected using the WHO standard data collection tool developed first-few cases and contacts investigation. Nasopharyngeal and Oropharyngeal samples were collected by using polystyrene tipped swab and transported to the laboratory by viral transport media maintaining an optimal temperature. Clinical and epidemiological parameters were calculated in terms of ratios, proportions, and rates with 95% CI. Result A total of 400 participants were investigated, 100 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 300 close contacts of the cases. The symptomatic proportion of cases was 23% (23) (95% CI: 15.2%-32.5%), the proportion of cases required hospitalization were 8% (8) (95%CI: 3.5%-15.2%) and 2% (95%CI: 0.24% - 7.04%) required mechanical ventilation. The secondary infection rate, secondary clinical attack rate, median incubation period and median serial interval were 42% (126) (95% CI: 36.4%-47.8%), 11.7% (35) (95% CI: 8.3%-15.9%), 7 days (IQR: 4–13.8) and 11 days (IQR: 8–11.8) respectively. The basic reproduction number (RO) was 1.26 (95% CI: 1.0–1.5). Conclusion The proportion of asymptomatic infection, as well as secondary infection rate among close contacts, are higher compared to other studies. The long serial interval and low basic reproduction number might contribute to the observed slow progression of the pandemic, which gives a wide window of opportunities and time to control the spread. Testing, prevention, and control measures should be intensified.

Regional and temporal variations in COVID-19 cases and deaths in Ethiopia: Lessons learned from the COVID-19 enhanced surveillance and response

“…Only a few regional studies on the clinical and epidemiological profile of COVID-19 cases in Ethiopia have been published [15][16][17]. These studies reported a limited number of cases and lacked information related to the epidemiological and temporal link among the different waves of outbreaks.…”

The Impact of Vaccination on RT-PCR Cycle Threshold Values for COVID-19: Insights for Future Pandemic Preparedness

“…The ndings from the descriptive statistics, cross-tabulation, and Chi-Square tests were analyzed to derive meaningful conclusions about the relationship between variables. (20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30), low viral load (30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40), and negative (> 40). In terms of rst dose analysis, among 298 participants, the majority fell into the "High viral load (< 20)" category, with 82 vaccinated and 120 unvaccinated individuals (Table 4).…”

“…Ethiopia, during the pandemic, implemented measures such as school closures, partial lockdowns, and public health campaigns upon con rming its rst case in March 2020 (EPHI, 2021). However, the virus spread throughout the country, particularly affecting urban areas like the capital, Addis Ababa (Watare et al, 2022). Challenges such as testing constraints, stigma, misinformation, and healthcare strain were prevalent (Chong et al, 2023).…”