COVID-19 in Tunisia (North Africa): Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in the General Population of the Capital City Tunis

Cherif, Ines; Kharroubi, Ghassen; Châabane, Sana; Yazidi, Rihab; Dellagi, Mongi; Snoussi, Mohamed Ali; Salem, Sadok; Marzouki, Soumaya; Rebai, Wafa Kammoun; Rourou, Samia; Dellagi, Koussay; Barbouche, Mohamed Ridha; Benabdessalem, Chaouki; Ahmed, Mélika Ben; Bettaieb, Jihéne

doi:10.3390/diagnostics12040971

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Interestingly, developed ELISA assays were estimated to be at least 5 times cheaper per reaction/test than those commercial assays thus supporting their usefulness in low- and middle-income countries. The assays were developed in the frame of a collaborative project on the COVID-19 pandemic led by a consortium of ten African countries and are currently used for seroprevalence studies on COVID-19 [29] in African populations as well as to understand the kinetics of humoral immune response induced by vaccines against COVID-19.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development and comparative evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD and N based ELISA tests in various African endemic settings

Benabdessalem

Hamouda

Marzouki

et al. 2023

Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development and comparative evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD and N based ELISA tests in various African endemic settings

Benabdessalem

Hamouda

Marzouki

et al. 2023

Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease

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“…Among the surveyed population, the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was 32.9% [28.7-37.4]. A study carried out by our team on the general population of the city of Tunis during the same period and using the same serological tests [10] found a comparable prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the age range of 22 to 69 years (34.7% [32.0-37.7]). These results indicate that the risk of infection in the specific setting of a public health laboratory such as IPT is not different from that in the community.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Incidence and risk factors of SARS-CoV-2 infection among workers in a public health laboratory in Tunisia

et al. 2023

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The aim of this study was to measure the extent of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among workers at the Institut Pasteur de Tunis (IPT), a public health laboratory involved in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia, and to identify risk factors for infection in this occupational setting. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on IPT workers not vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Participants completed a questionnaire that included a history of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Immunoglobulin G antibodies against the receptor-binding domain of the spike antigen (anti-S-RBD IgG) and the nucleocapsid protein (anti-N IgG) of the SARS-CoV-2 virus were detected by enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA). A multivariate analysis was used to identify factors significantly associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. A total of 428 workers were enrolled in the study. The prevalence of anti-S-RBD and/or anti-N IgG antibodies was 32.9% [28.7-37.4]. The cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection (positive serology and/or previous positive RT-PCR test) was 40. 0% [35.5-44.9], while the proportion with asymptomatic infection was 32.9%. One-third of the participants with RT-PCR-confirmed infection tested seronegative more than 90 days postinfection. Participants aged over 40 and laborers were more susceptible to infection (adjusted OR [AOR] = 1.65 [1.08-2.51] and , respectively), while tobacco smokers had a lower risk of infection (AOR = 0.54 [0.29-0.97]). The SARS-CoV-2 infection rate among IPT workers was not significantly different from that detected concurrently in the general population. Hence, the professional activities conducted in this public health laboratory did not generate additional risk to that incurred outside the institute in day-to-day activities.

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“…The viral variant (Alpha, Delta or Omicron) was defined based on the epidemic wave of the virus at the time of diagnosis [ 24 , 25 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Incidence and risk factors of post COVID-19 syndrome: a Tunisian cohort study

Zemni,

Gara,

Bennasrallah

et al. 2024

BMC Infect Dis

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Background It has become increasingly clear that SARS-CoV-2 infection can lead to persistent physical and mental health problems lasting weeks or months, requiring prolonged periods of clinical care and increasing the burden on the healthcare system. This phenomenon, known as post COVID-19 syndrome (PCS), is a relatively new condition, its incidence is still unclear and differs between studies. Objectives In this cohort study, we aimed to estimate the incidence of PCS and to identify its risk factors in the Tunisian population. Methods This is a prospective cohort study that enrolled patients diagnosed with COVID-19 from the triage unit of the University Hospital of Monastir, Tunisia. between April 2021 and June 2022. Patients were contacted by phone for a follow-up evaluation of PCS 12- weeks after the diagnosis date. Results A total of 1451 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 during the study period, responded to the follow-up evaluation after 3 months. The incidence of PCS was found to be 44.03% (95% CI [41.47; 46.58]), with fatigue being the most common symptom (21.5%), followed by cognitive impairment (10.3%), including memory loss and difficulty concentrating. Multivariate analysis revealed that the main associated factors to PCS were female gender (RR = 1.54; CI95% [1.30 - 1.82]), pre-existing comorbidities (RR = 1.30; CI95% [1.10 - 1.52]), duration of acute COVID-19 illness (days) (RR = 1.02; CI95% [1.01 - 1.03]), hospitalization (RR = 1.27; CI95% [1.05 - 1.53]), number of COVID-19 episodes (RR = 1.46; CI 95% [1.28 - 1.67]) and patients having receive two or more doses of vaccine prior to COVID-19 infection (RR = 0.82; CI95% [0.70 - 0.96]). Conclusion Our study allowed to estimate the incidence and identify risk factors of PCS. Recognizing these factors could help to better understand the underlying mechanisms and guide interventions for prevention and management of this condition.

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COVID-19 in Tunisia (North Africa): Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in the General Population of the Capital City Tunis

Cited by 9 publications

References 46 publications

Development and comparative evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD and N based ELISA tests in various African endemic settings

Development and comparative evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD and N based ELISA tests in various African endemic settings

Incidence and risk factors of SARS-CoV-2 infection among workers in a public health laboratory in Tunisia

Incidence and risk factors of post COVID-19 syndrome: a Tunisian cohort study

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