Jarju, Sheikh; Senghore, Elina; Brotherton, Helen; Saidykhan, Alasana; Jallow, Samba; Krubally, Edrissa; Sinjanka, Edrisa; Ndene, Morris Ngor; Bajo, Fabakary; Sanyang, Musa M; +12 more... Saidy, Binta; Bah, Alasana; Mohammed, Nuredin I; Forrest, Karen; Clarke, Ed; Dalessandro, Umberto; Sesay, Abdul K; Usuf, Effua; Cerami, Carla; Roca, Anna; Kampmann, Beate; de Silva, Thushan I; (2023) Circulation of respiratory viruses during the COVID-19 pandemic in The Gambia [version 3; peer review: 2 approved]. Gates Open Research, 6 (148). DOI: https://doi.org/10.12688/gatesopenres.14155.2
Permanent Identifier
Use this Digital Object Identifier when citing or linking to this resource.
Abstract
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 <5 years (80%) compared to children aged 5-17 years (53.1%), adults aged 18-50 (39.5%) and >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 <5 (4.3%) and 5-17 years (12.7%) than in adults aged 18-50 (19.3%) and >50 years (24.3%), p<0.0001. In contrast, rhinoviruses were most prevalent in children <5 years (28.7%), followed by children aged 5-17 (15.8%), adults aged 18-50 (8.3%) and >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.
Item Type | Article |
---|---|
Faculty and Department |
Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases > Dept of Clinical Research MRC Gambia > GM-Disease Control and Elimination Theme MRC Gambia > GM-Gambia Clinical Services/Comms MRC Gambia > GM-General Administration MRC Gambia > GM-Nutrition Theme |
Research Centre |
Covid-19 Research Centre for Maternal, Reproductive and Child Health (MARCH) |
Elements ID | 199184 |
Official URL | http://dx.doi.org/10.12688/gatesopenres.14155.2 |
Download
Filename: Jarju-etal-2023.Circulation-of-respiratory-viruses-during-the-Covid-19-pandemic-in-The-Gambia--[version-3-peer-review-2-approved].pdf
Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0
Download