ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: In Liberia, the physician assistant (PA) profession began in the mid-1960s. PAs have had a major role in providing access to healthcare for patients, many of whom live in poverty and reside in remote areas where access to physicians may be severely limited. In 1964, representatives from UNICEF selected Agnes N. Dagbe, MS, RN, to be the first director of a new PA program to be developed at the Tubman National Institute of Medical Arts. Dagbe was sent to Russia to learn about their feldsher profession, which served as a significant source of inspiration for the newly emerging PA profession in Liberia. To date, Liberia has faced extreme shortages of physicians, the ravages of two brutal civil wars over a 14-year period (1989-2003), as well as outbreaks of the Ebola and COVID-19 viruses. Now, more than 54 years since the first class graduated, PAs are vital for the delivery of essential healthcare services for the citizens of Liberia.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola , Physician Assistants , COVID-19/epidemiology , Disease Outbreaks , Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola/epidemiology , Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola/therapy , Humans , Liberia/epidemiologyABSTRACT
COVID-19 remains a serious disruption to human health, social, and economic existence. Reinfection with the virus intensifies fears and raises more questions among countries, with few documented reports. This study investigated cases of COVID-19 reinfection using patients' laboratory test results between March 2020 and July 2021 in Liberia. Data obtained from Liberia's Ministry of Health COVID-19 surveillance was analyzed in Excel 365 and ArcGIS Pro 2.8.2. Results showed that with a median interval of 200 days (Range: 99-415), 13 out of 5,459 cases were identified and characterized as reinfection in three counties during the country's third wave of the outbreak. Eighty-six percent of the COVID-19 reinfection cases occurred in Montserrado County within high clusters, which accounted for over 80% of the randomly distributed cases in Liberia. More cases of reinfection occurred among international travelers within populations with high community transmissions. This study suggests the need for continued public education and surveillance to encourage longer-term COVID-19 preventive practices even after recovery.
