Spread of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Adult Populations in Cameroon: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study Among Blood Donors in the Cities of Yaoundé and Douala.

Over a period of about 9 months, we conducted three serosurveys in the two major cities of Cameroon to determine the prevalence of SARS-COV-2 antibodies and to identify factors associated with seropositivity in each survey. We conducted three independent cross-sectional serosurveys of adult blood donors at the Central Hospital in Yaoundé (CHY), the Jamot Hospital in Yaoundé (JHY) and at the Laquintinie Hospital in Douala (LHD) who consented in writing to participate. Before blood sampling, a short questionnaire was administered to participants to collect their sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. We included a total of 743, 1202, and 1501 participants in the first (January 25-February 15, 2021), second (May 03-28, 2021), and third (November 29-December 31, 2021) surveys, respectively. The adjusted seroprevalence increased from 66.3% (95% CrI 61.1-71.3) in the first survey to 87.2% (95% CrI 84.0-90.0) in the second survey, and 98.4% (95% CrI 96.8-99.7) in the third survey. In the first survey, study site, participant occupation, and comorbid conditions were associated with SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity, whereas only study site remained associated in the second survey. None of the factors studied was significantly associated with seropositivity in the third survey. Together, the data suggest a rapid initial spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the study population, independent of the sociodemographic parameters assessed.

Viral co-infection with human respiratory syncytial virus in suspected acute and severe respiratory tract infections during COVID-19 pandemic in Yaoundé, Cameroon, 2020-2021.

BACKGROUND: Acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRIs) are one one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among people of all ages worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The purpose of this study was to determine epidemiological characteristics of respiratory viruses in acute respiratory infection (ARI) patients during the COVID-19 pandemic in Yaoundé, Cameroon. METHODS: Patients were monitored for respiratory symptoms as part of the surveillance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and other respiratory viral infections. Patients of all ages with respiratory symptoms less than 5 days were considered. Sociodemographic and clinical data as well as nasopharyngeal samples was collected from patients. Nasopharyngeal samples were tested for SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) using real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction methods. Virus distribution and demographic data were analyzed with R version 2.15.1. RESULTS: From July 2020 to October 2021, 1120 patients were included. The overall viral detection rate was 32.5%, including 9.5% for RSV, 12.6% for influenza virus and 12.8% for SARS-CoV-2. Co-infections were detected in 6.9% of positive cases. While RSV and influenza virus showed seasonal trends, SARS-CoV-2 was detected throughout the study period. CONCLUSION: We found that during COVID-19 pandemic, respiratory viruses play an important role in etiology of influenza-like illness in Cameroon, and this observation was true for patients of all ages.

Observed versus estimated actual trend of COVID-19 case numbers in Cameroon: A data-driven modelling.

Controlling the COVID-19 outbreak remains a challenge for Cameroon, as it is for many other countries worldwide. The number of confirmed cases reported by health authorities in Cameroon is based on observational data, which is not nationally representative. The actual extent of the outbreak from the time when the first case was reported in the country to now remains unclear. This study aimed to estimate and model the actual trend in the number of COVID -19 new infections in Cameroon from March 05, 2020 to May 31, 2021 based on an observed disaggregated dataset. We used a large disaggregated dataset, and multilevel regression and poststratification model was applied prospectively for COVID-19 cases trend estimation in Cameroon from March 05, 2020 to May 31, 2021. Subsequently, seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) modeling was used for forecasting purposes. Based on the prospective MRP modeling findings, a total of about 7450935 (30%) of COVID-19 cases was estimated from March 05, 2020 to May 31, 2021 in Cameroon. Generally, the reported number of COVID-19 infection cases in Cameroon during this period underestimated the estimated actual number by about 94 times. The forecasting indicated a succession of two waves of the outbreak in the next two years following May 31, 2021. If no action is taken, there could be many waves of the outbreak in the future. To avoid such situations which could be a threat to global health, public health authorities should effectively monitor compliance with preventive measures in the population and implement strategies to increase vaccination coverage in the population.

Improving the management and security of COVID 19 diagnostic test data with a digital platform in resource-limited settings: The case of PlaCARD in Cameroon.

During the COVID 19 pandemic, round-the-clock demand for COVID -19 laboratory tests exceeded capacity, placing a significant burden on laboratory staff and infrastructure. The use of laboratory information management systems (LIMS) to streamline all phases of laboratory testing (preanalytical, analytical, and postanalytical) has become inevitable. The objective of this study is to describe the architecture, implementation, and requirements of PlaCARD, a software platform for managing patient registration, medical specimens, and diagnostic data flow, as well as reporting and authentication of diagnostic results during the 2019 coronavirus pandemic (COVID -19) in Cameroon. Building on its experience with biosurveillance, CPC developed an open-source, real-time digital health platform with web and mobile applications called PlaCARD to improve the efficiency and timing of disease-related interventions. PlaCARD was quickly adapted to the decentralization strategy of the COVID 19 testing in Cameroon and, after specific user training, was deployed in all COVID 19 diagnostic laboratories and the regional emergency operations center. Overall, 71% of samples tested for COVID 19 by molecular diagnostics in Cameroon from 05 March 2020 to 31 October 2021 were entered into PlaCARD. The median turnaround time for providing results was 2 days [0-2.3] before April 2021 and decreased to 1 day [1- 1] after the introduction of SMS result notification in PlaCARD. The integration of LIMS and workflow management into a single comprehensive software platform (PlaCARD) has strengthened COVID 19 surveillance capabilities in Cameroon. PlaCARD has demonstrated that it can be used as a LIMS for managing and securing test data during an outbreak.