scholarly journals Evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic over six weeks in four French-speaking countries in West Africa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamba Mina Millimouno ◽  
Mohamed Ali Ag Ahmed ◽  
Birama Apho Ly ◽  
Sana Boukary ◽  
Christophe Laba Faye ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented international health crisis with different approaches to the response at country levels. The objective of this study was to analyze the evolution of this pandemic in Guinea, Mali, Senegal, and Burkina Faso over the first six weeks. We hypothesize that there exist significant differences in the incidence of COVID-19 between countries. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted as part of a collaborative project. Data collection focused on the epidemiological surveillance indicators available in the countries’ COVID-19 daily situation reports. Data were entered into a standardized Microsoft Excel spreadsheet which was exported to the STATA 15 software for analysis. Results COVID-19 had a different dynamic in the four countries over the first six weeks. Its incidence in Burkina Faso and Senegal was dropping, while it was increasing slowly in Mali; only in Guinea, it increased rapidly. The analysis of variance revealed that the differences observed in the weekly COVID-19 incidence in the four countries were statistically significant (p ˂ 0.01). Different screening approaches have been used by the four countries. Guinea (n = 4,539) performed more tests compared to Senegal (n = 2,961), Burkina Faso (n = 2,455) and Mali (n = 2,397). The positivity rates were significantly higher in Mali (25.5%) and Burkina Faso (23.7%) than in Guinea (19.0%) and Senegal (9.5%) (p ˂ 0.0001). Hospitalization rates by country ranged from 32.0–79.6%, with Guinea’s hospitalization rate (79.6%) being significantly higher as compared to that of the three other countries (p ˂ 0.0001). The cure rates were significantly higher in Burkina Faso (61.4%) and Senegal (61.1%) than in Mali (37.3%) and Guinea (19.7%) (p ˂ 0.0001). The case fatality rate was significantly higher in Burkina Faso (6.5%) than in Mali (5.2%) (p ˂ 0.001), Guinea (0.7%), and Senegal (0.7%) (p ˂ 0.0001). Conclusion This study highlighted insights from COVID-19 surveillance data, as a basis for improving response strategies in the four countries. Large-scale screening seems relevant to not only facilitate controlling the disease spread but also reducing case fatality rates by early case detection, prior to the occurrence of complications.

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-136
Author(s):  
Rogomenoma Alice Ouedraogo ◽  
Théodora Mahoukèdè Zohoncon ◽  
Ina Marie Angèle Traore ◽  
Abdoul Karim Ouattara ◽  
Sindimalgdé Patricia Guigma ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectivethis study was conducted to determine the distribution of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) genotypes in women in the general population of three regions of Burkina Faso.MethodThis multicenter, descriptive cross-sectional study involved 1321 sexually active women in five cities in three regions of Burkina Faso: Central, Central-Eastern and Hauts-Bassins regions. After collection of endocervical specimens, pre-cervical lesions were screened by visual inspection with acetic acid and lugol (VIA / VILI). HR-HPV genotypes were characterized by multiplex real-time PCR after extraction of viral DNA.ResultsThe mean age of women was 31.98 ± 10.09 years. The HR-HPV infection in the three regions ranged from 26.16% to 43.26% with 35.42% as overall prevalence in women. The most common HR-HPV genotypes in descending order were: HPV 56, 52, 66, 59, 39, 51, 18, 35. The prevalence of bivalent vaccine genotypes (HPV16 / 18) was 7.83% against 63.78% of genotypes not covered by HPV vaccine; 36.32% (170/468) of women had multiple concomitant HR-HPV infections.Conclusionthis study showed significant regional variation and high prevalence of HR-HPV infection in women. The predominant genotypes differ from those covered by available vaccines in Burkina Faso. These results will help guide our health policies towards better prevention of cervical cancer. The diversity of oncogenic genotypes is sparking a large-scale study in the West African sub-region, particularly in cases of cancer and the introduction of the nonavalent vaccine which includes HPV 52 found among the predominant genotypes in this study.


Author(s):  
Valerie Bauza ◽  
Gloria D. Sclar ◽  
Alokananda Bisoyi ◽  
Fiona Majorin ◽  
Apurva Ghugey ◽  
...  

Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices emerged as a critical component to controlling and preventing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted 131 semistructured phone interviews with households in rural Odisha, India, to understand behavior changes made in WASH practices as a result of the pandemic and challenges that would prevent best practices. Interviews were conducted from May through July 2020 with 73 heads of household, 37 caregivers of children < 5 years old, and 21 members of village water and sanitation committees in villages with community-level piped water and high levels of latrine ownership. The majority of respondents (86%, N = 104) reported a change in their handwashing practice due to COVID-19, typically describing an increase in handwashing frequency, more thorough washing method, and/or use of soap. These improved handwashing practices remained in place a few months after the pandemic began and were often described as a new consistent practice after additional daily actions (such as returning home), suggesting new habit formation. Few participants (13%) reported barriers to handwashing. Some respondents also detailed improvements in other WASH behaviors, including village-level cleaning of water tanks and/or treatment of piped water (48% of villages), household water treatment and storage (17% of respondents), and household cleaning (41% of respondents). However, there was minimal change in latrine use and child feces management practices as a result of the pandemic. We provide detailed thematic summaries of qualitative responses to allow for richer insights into these WASH behavior changes during the pandemic. The results also highlight the importance of ensuring communities have adequate WASH infrastructure to enable the practice of safe behaviors and strengthen resilience during a large-scale health crisis.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolin Kilian ◽  
Jürgen Rehm ◽  
Peter Allebeck ◽  
Fleur Braddick ◽  
Antoni Gual ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims: The aim of this project was to investigate changes in alcohol consumption during the first months of the pandemic in Europe as well as its associations with income and experiences of distress related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: Cross-sectional online survey conducted between April 24 and July 22 of 2020. Setting: 21 European countries. Participants: 31,964 adults reporting past-year drinking. Measurements: Changes in alcohol consumption were measured by asking respondents about changes during the previous month in their drinking frequency, the quantity they consumed, and incidence of heavy episodic drinking events. Individual indicators were combined into an aggregated consumption-change score and scaled to a possible range: -1 to +1. Using this score as outcome, multilevel linear regressions tested changes in overall drinking, taking into account sampling weights and baseline alcohol consumption (AUDIT-C) and country of residence serving as random intercept. Similar models were conducted for each single consumption-change indicator. Findings: In almost all countries, the consumption-change score indicated alcohol use to decrease on average; except in Ireland and the UK, where alcohol consumption on average remained unchanged or increased, respectively. Decreases in drinking were mostly driven by a reduced frequency of heavy episodic drinking. Declines in consumption were less marked among those with low- or average incomes, and those experiencing distress. Conclusions: Our research suggests alcohol consumption to decline on average during the first months of the pandemic in Europe. The findings suggest both reduced availability of alcohol and increased distress may have affected alcohol consumption, although the former seemed to have a greater impact, at least in terms of immediate effects. Monitoring of mid- and long-term consequences will be crucial in understanding how this public health crisis impacts alcohol consumption.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolin Kilian ◽  
Jürgen Rehm ◽  
Peter Allebeck ◽  
Fleur Braddick ◽  
Antoni Gual ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims: The aim of this project was to investigate changes in alcohol consumption during the first months of the pandemic in Europe as well as its associations with income and experiences of distress related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: Cross-sectional online survey conducted between April 24 and July 22 of 2020. Setting: 21 European countries. Participants: 31,964 adults reporting past-year drinking. Measurements: Changes in alcohol consumption were measured by asking respondents about changes during the previous month in their drinking frequency, the quantity they consumed, and incidence of heavy episodic drinking events. Individual indicators were combined into an aggregated consumption-change score and scaled to a possible range: -1 to +1. Using this score as outcome, multilevel linear regressions tested changes in overall drinking, taking into account sampling weights and baseline alcohol consumption (AUDIT-C) and country of residence serving as random intercept. Similar models were conducted for each single consumption-change indicator. Findings: In almost all countries, the consumption-change score indicated alcohol use to decrease on average; except in Ireland and the UK, where alcohol consumption on average remained unchanged or increased, respectively. Decreases in drinking were mostly driven by a reduced frequency of heavy episodic drinking. Declines in consumption were less marked among those with low- or average incomes, and those experiencing distress. Conclusions: Our research suggests alcohol consumption to decline on average during the first months of the pandemic in Europe. The findings suggest both reduced availability of alcohol and increased distress may have affected alcohol consumption, although the former seemed to have a greater impact, at least in terms of immediate effects. Monitoring of mid- and long-term consequences will be crucial in understanding how this public health crisis impacts alcohol consumption.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie Bauza ◽  
Gloria D. Sclar ◽  
Alokananda Bisoyi ◽  
Fiona Majorin ◽  
Apurva Ghugey ◽  
...  

AbstractWater, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices emerged as a critical component to controlling and preventing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted 131 semi-structured phone interviews with households in rural Odisha, India to understand behavior changes made in WASH practices as a result of the pandemic and challenges that would prevent best practices. Interviews were conducted from May-July 2020 with 73 heads of household, 37 caregivers of children less than five years old, and 21 members of village water and sanitation committees in villages with community-level piped water and high levels of latrine ownership. The majority of respondents (86%, N=104) reported a change in their handwashing practice due to COVID-19 or the related government lockdown, typically describing an increase in handwashing frequency, more thorough washing method, and/or use of soap. These improved handwashing practices remained in place a few months after the pandemic began and were often described as a new consistent practice after additional daily actions (such as returning home), suggesting new habit formation. Few participants (13%) reported barriers to handwashing. Some respondents also detailed improvements in other WASH behaviors including village-level cleaning of water tanks and/or treatment of piped water (48% of villages), household water treatment and storage (17% of respondents), and household cleaning (41% of respondents). However, there was minimal change in latrine use and child feces management practices as a result of the pandemic. We provide detailed thematic summaries of qualitative responses to allow for richer insights into these WASH behavior changes, or lack thereof, during the pandemic. The results also highlight the importance of ensuring communities have adequate WASH infrastructure to enable the practice of safe behaviors and strengthen resilience during a large-scale health crisis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Efraín Navarro-Olivos ◽  
Nicolás Padilla-Raygoza ◽  
Gilberto Flores-Vargas ◽  
María de Jesús Gallardo-Luna ◽  
Ma Guadalupe León-Verdín ◽  
...  

Background: The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 have become a global health crisis. The infection has been present in all the social sectors. Subjects under 18 years are one of them. The objective was to analyze the case fatality ratio of COVID-19 cases in the Mexican population under 18 years of age registered in the National Epidemiological Surveillance System from March 2020 to December 31, 2020.Material and Methods: The design is cross-sectional, quantitative, and analytical. All the suspected cases of respiratory viral disease, with a real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test result, aged from 0 to 17 years, were included. Descriptive statistics are presented for all the variables. Epidemiological curves were designed. The chi-squared test and its P-values were obtained to show the relationship between comorbidities and death. The case fatality ratio was computed for each comorbidity, sex, and age group. Multivariable logistic regression models were fitted to study the effect between comorbidities with the fatality of cases, adjusting for sex and age group as potential confounders. The alpha value was fixed to 0.05 to assess significance.Results: The number of records for this study was 167,856. Among them, 48,505 were from SARS-CoV-2-positive patients (28.90%), and 119,351 (71.10%) were negative. Of those who died, males (55.29%) (P &lt; 0.05) and those under 2 years of age (50.35%) (P &lt; 0.05) predominated. Unlike in older populations, from the comorbidities considered risk factors for death by COVID-19, only immunosuppression showed a statistically significant effect on the fatality of cases after adjustment by the other related variables. Sex and age group were not confounders for the models in those under 18 years old. Pneumonia, being younger than 5 years, and immunosuppression are related to death.Conclusion: The case fatality ratio in those under 18 years old is low. Special attention must be paid to those children under 5 years. The development of pneumonia is a warning indicator while treating them. On the other hand, having an open database of cases allows the researchers to analyze the impact of COVID-19 in different population sectors, which has clear benefits for public health.


Diabetes ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 2393-PUB
Author(s):  
KENICHIRO TAKAHASHI ◽  
MINORI SHINODA ◽  
RIKA SAKAMOTO ◽  
JUN SUZUKI ◽  
TADASHI YAMAKAWA ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Zendle

A variety of practices have recently emerged which are related to both video games and gambling. Most prominent of these are loot boxes. However, a broad range of other activities have recently emerged which are also related to both gambling and video games: esports betting, real-money video gaming, token wagering, social casino play, and watching videos of both loot box opening and gambling on game streaming services like Twitch.Whilst a nascent body of research has established the robust existence of a relationship between loot box spending and both problem gambling and disordered gaming, little research exists which examines whether similar links may exist for the diverse practices outlined above. Furthermore, no research has thus far attempted to estimate the prevalence of these activities.A large-scale survey of a representative sample of UK adults (n=1081) was therefore conducted in order to investigate these issues. Engagement in all measured forms of gambling-like video game practices were significantly associated with both problem gambling and disordered gaming. An aggregate measure of engagement was associated with both these outcomes to a clinically significant degree (r=0.23 and r=0.43). Engagement in gambling-like video game practices appeared widespread, with a 95% confidence interval estimating that 16.3% – 20.9% of the population engaged in these activities at least once in the last year. Engagement in these practices was highly inter-correlated: Individuals who engaged in one practice were likely to engage in several more.Overall, these results suggest that the potential effects of the blurring of lines between video games and gambling should not primarily be understood to be due to the presence of loot boxes in video games. They suggest the existence of a convergent ecosystem of gambling-like video game practices, whose causal relationships with problem gambling and disordered gaming are currently unclear but must urgently be investigated.


Author(s):  
Osama Abdelkarim ◽  
Julian Fritsch ◽  
Darko Jekauc ◽  
Klaus Bös

Physical fitness is an indicator for children’s public health status. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the construct validity and the criterion-related validity of the German motor test (GMT) in Egyptian schoolchildren. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a total of 931 children aged 6 to 11 years (age: 9.1 ± 1.7 years) with 484 (52%) males and 447 (48%) females in grades one to five in Assiut city. The children’s physical fitness data were collected using GMT. GMT is designed to measure five health-related physical fitness components including speed, strength, coordination, endurance, and flexibility of children aged 6 to 18 years. The anthropometric data were collected based on three indicators: body height, body weight, and BMI. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted with IBM SPSS AMOS 26.0 using full-information maximum likelihood. The results indicated an adequate fit (χ2 = 112.3, df = 20; p < 0.01; CFI = 0.956; RMSEA = 0.07). The χ2-statistic showed significant results, and the values for CFI and RMSEA showed a good fit. All loadings of the manifest variables on the first-order latent factors as well as loadings of the first-order latent factors on the second-order superordinate factor were significant. The results also showed strong construct validity in the components of conditioning abilities and moderate construct validity in the components of coordinative abilities. GMT proved to be a valid method and could be widely used on large-scale studies for health-related fitness monitoring in the Egyptian population.


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