Population-based sero-epidemiological investigation of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Somalia.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the burden of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Somalia by measuring the seroprevalence of antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the general population. METHODS: We recruited a convenience sample of 2751 participants from among individuals attending outpatient and inpatient departments of public health facilities, or their accompanying family members. Participants were interviewed to collect sociodemographic data and provided a blood sample. We calculated seropositivity rates overall and by sex, age group, state, residence, education and marital status. We used logistic regression analysis - odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI) - to investigate sociodemographic correlates of seropositivity. RESULTS: The overall seropositivity rate was 56.4% (95% CI 54.5-58.3%), while 8.8% of participants reported being previously diagnosed with COVID-19 by July 2021. In the regression analysis, after controlling for covariates, urban residence was significantly asscoiated with seropositivity: OR = 1.74 (95% CI: 1.19-2.55). CONCLUSIONS: Our results show a high seroprevalence rate of SARS-CoV-2 in the Somali population (56.4%), and indicate that many infections have not been captured by the country's surveillance system resulting in considerable under-reporting.

Accuracy of public health data linkages.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy of computer-matched records for maternal and child health epidemiologic investigations. METHODS: Using Automatch probabilistic record linkage software, we linked electronic records in Georgia for the 2001 Medicaid paid delivery claims and infant deaths of the 2001 birth cohort to 2001 births, and the 2002 newborn screening and hospital discharge data to 2002 births, using multiple variables for matching. We evaluated the accuracy of matches using a manual inspection of a subset of linked pairs and validated with external data. We assessed the agreement between two programmers who linked the same data independently to examine the reliability of the manual inspection technique, and estimated the percent matches to examine further the accuracy of linked data. RESULTS: The percent of records matched in the data linked ranged from 90% to 100% on the measures used. The positive and negative predictive values of the computer-matched records were both 100%. The agreement between the computer-matched data and the external data on the method of payment for the delivery was 90%. The reliability of the manual inspection technique was 95%. CONCLUSION: The computer-matched records evaluated were sufficiently accurate. This provides a unique source to public health practitioners and researchers to perform epidemiological studies that could not be possible with single sources data.

Sexually transmitted infections and other health conditions of women entering prison in Georgia, 1998-1999.

OBJECTIVES: To assess health needs of women entering the Georgia prison system, prevalence of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections was estimated. STUDY: Results of admission screening tests of women entering the Georgia prison system in 1998 to 1999 were abstracted retrospectively from prison records. RESULTS: Of 3636 women whose data were abstracted from prison records, 4.3% were pregnant and 8.2%, 4.0%, 5.9%, and 0.7%, respectively, had positive screening tests for trichomoniasis, HIV, chlamydia, and gonorrhea; 19.5% had at least 1 of those conditions. HIV prevalence was higher among inmates who were black or had a rapid plasma reagin test for syphilis reactive at > or =1:8 dilutions (6.0%, 15.8%, respectively) than others (1.3%, 3.7%; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Inmates in this study had high rates of sexually transmitted infections and many were pregnant. Black inmates were at higher risk for HIV and high rapid plasma reagin titers than white inmates or other routinely tested Georgia female populations.