Prevalence and predictors of depression and anxiety among workers at two points of entry in Botswana during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: points of entry (POE) staff are particularly prone to depression and anxiety during outbreaks. The study aimed to determine the prevalence and predictors of depression and anxiety among POE staff in Botswana. Methods: this was a cross sectional study at Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (SSKIA) and Tlokweng border from 02/12/2021 to 24/02/2022 during the COVID-19 outbreak. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the General Anxiety Disorder-7 item scale (GAD-7) were used to screen for depression and anxiety respectively. Logistic regression was used to determine predictors of depression (PHQ-9≥10) and anxiety (GAD-7 ≥10). Results: a total of 276 POE workers participated in the study of which 60 (21.7%) had an abnormal PHQ-9 score (had depression). Anxiety levels were abnormal in 31 (11.2%) participants. The predictors of depression were working at SSKIA (Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 0.22, 95% Confidence interval (CI) 0.08-0.65), age >39 years (AOR 0.15, 95% CI 0.03-0.68), having a diploma (AOR 0.27, 95% CI 0.008-0.89), having a degree or higher (AOR 0.23, 95% CI 0.07-0.80), history of asthma (AOR 4.43, 95% CI 1.17-16.72), experience of stigma and discrimination (AOR 2.93, 95% CI 1.01-8.55) and having older people (>65 years) in the household (AOR 4.61, 95% CI 1.64-12.99). The predictors of anxiety were having chronic medical conditions (AOR 5.76, 95% CI 1.34-24.78) and experience of stigma and discrimination (AOR 6.82, 95% CI 1.42-32.46). Conclusion: depression and anxiety were detected in a significant number of participants. Multiple risk factors were identified. Public health interventions should target these risk factors.

Knowledge, attitudes and preventive practices towards COVID-19 among workers at two points of entry in South-Eastern Botswana: A cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Adherence to control measures and provision of appropriate information at international borders and points of entry (POE) are key to limiting the importation of COVID-19. This study aimed to describe the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) of POE staff towards COVID-19 in Botswana. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of the COVID-19 KAPs among workers at Tlokweng border and Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (SSKIA) using a self-administered questionnaire. The tool incorporated the participants' demographics and selected questions on COVID-19 KAPs. Analysis was descriptive. Categorical data were summarized with frequencies while numeric data were summarized with medians and interquartile ranges (IQR). The total knowledge and practice scores of each individual were computed by adding their individual scores for each question. The scores were then categorized according to Bloom's cutoffs of good (80-100%), moderate (60-79%) and poor (<60%). RESULTS: A total of 276 individuals participated in the study. Of these, 70 were from Tlokweng border and 206 were from SSKIA. The participants performed worst on questions on the frequency of severe disease and asymptomatic transmission of COVID-19. The attitudes were mainly positive. However, 54.6% of participants thought that the COVID-19 burden is exaggerated. For practice, the worst performance was on social distancing, sanitizing shared surfaces, and going to work while symptomatic. Overall, good and moderate knowledge was observed in 47.8% and 38.0% of participants, respectively. Similarly, good and moderate performance on practices was observed in 63.6% and 24.4% of participants respectively. CONCLUSION: The knowledge, attitudes, and practices were generally good at the 2 points of entry. More than 85% of respondents had moderate or good performance on knowledge and practice questions. However, the respondents performed poorly in some key questions. Targeted health information and promotion must address the identified gaps.

Shortfalls in home quarantine for COVID-19 prevention: a case report.

Quarantine of COVID-19 high risk groups is one strategy of interrupting chains of transmissions of the disease. We describe a COVID-19 imported case placed under home quarantine that resulted in 8 local transmission cases at the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic in Botswana. This case report highlights that home quarantine if not well managed can lead to a surge in local cases and drawing from the literature we propose recommendations of strengthening home quarantine.