Circulation of respiratory viruses during the COVID-19 pandemic in The Gambia

Gates Open Research

article

Sheikh Jarju¹  Elina Senghore¹  Helen Brotherton¹  Lucy Affleck¹  Alasana Saidykhan¹  Samba Jallow¹  Ebrima Krubally¹  Edrisa Sinjanka¹  Morris Ngor Ndene¹  Fabakary Bajo¹  Musa M Sanyang¹  Binta Saidy¹  Alasana Bah¹  Nuredin I Mohammed¹  Karen Forrest¹  Ed Clarke¹  Umberto Dalessandro¹  Abdul K Sesay¹  Effua Usuf¹  Carla Cerami¹  Anna Roca¹  Beate Kampmann¹  Thushan I de Silva¹ 

[1] Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine;Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine;The Vaccine Centre, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine;4. Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, The Medical School, The University of Sheffield

关键词: SARS-CoV-2;    respiratory viruses;    surveillance;    Influenza like illness;   

DOI  :  10.12688/gatesopenres.14155.3

学科分类：电子与电气工程

来源: American Journal Of Pharmtech Research

【 摘 要 】

Background: In many countries, non-pharmaceutical interventions to limit severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission resulted in significant reductions in other respiratory viruses. However, similar data from Africa are limited. We explored the extent to which viruses such as influenza and rhinovirus co-circulated with SARS-CoV-2 in The Gambia during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Methods: Between April 2020 and March 2022, respiratory viruses were detected using RT-PCR in nasopharyngeal swabs from 1397 participants with influenza-like illness. An assay to detect SARS-CoV-2 and a viral multiplex RT-PCR assay was used as previously described  to detect influenza A and B, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) A and B, parainfluenza viruses 1-4, human metapneumovirus (HMPV), adenovirus, seasonal coronaviruses (229E, OC43, NL63) and human rhinovirus. Results: Overall virus positivity was 44.2%, with prevalence higher in children 50 years (39.9%), p<0.0001. After SARS-CoV-2 (18.3%), rhinoviruses (10.5%) and influenza viruses (5.5%) were the most prevalent. SARS-CoV-2 positivity was lower in children 50 years (24.3%), p<0.0001. In contrast, rhinoviruses were most prevalent in children 50 years (6.3%), p<0.0001. Four SARS-CoV-2 waves occurred, with 36.1%-52.4% SARS-CoV-2 positivity during peak months. Influenza infections were observed in both 2020 and 2021 during the rainy season as expected (peak positivity 16.4%-23.5%). Peaks of rhinovirus were asynchronous to the months when SARS-CoV-2 and influenza peaked. Conclusion: Our data show that many respiratory viruses continued to circulate during the COVID-19 pandemic in The Gambia, including human rhinoviruses, despite the presence of NPIs during the early stages of the pandemic, and influenza peaks during expected months.

【 授权许可】

CC BY