SARS-CoV-2 variants-associated outbreaks of COVID-19 in a tertiary institution, North-Central Nigeria: Implications for epidemic control.

The COVID-19 global pandemic is being driven by evolving SARS-CoV-2 variants with consequential implications on virus transmissibility, host immunity, and disease severity. Continuous molecular and genomic surveillance of the SARS-CoV-2 variants is therefore necessary for public health interventions toward the management of the pandemic. This study is a retrospective analysis of COVID-19 cases reported in a Nigerian tertiary institution from July to December 2021. In total, 705 suspected COVID-19 cases that comprised 547 students and 158 non-students were investigated by real time PCR (RT-PCR); of which 372 (~52.8%) tested positive for COVID-19. Using a set of selection criteria, 74 (~19.9%) COVID-19 positive samples were selected for next generation sequencing. Data showed that there were two outbreaks of COVID-19 within the university community over the study period, during which more females (56.8%) tested positive than males (47.8%) (p<0.05). Clinical data together with phylogenetic analysis suggested community transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through mostly asymptomatic and/or pre-symptomatic individuals. Confirmed COVID-19 cases were mostly mild, however, SARS-CoV-2 delta (77%) and omicron (4.1%) variants were implicated as major drivers of respective waves of infections during the study period. This study highlights the importance of integrated surveillance of communicable disease during outbreaks.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Genital Human Papillomavirus Infections among Women in Lagos, Nigeria.

Regional variations exist in HPV prevalence worldwide despite reports of high prevalence rates among African women. Limited data on genital HPV prevalence necessitated this study with the aim of determining the prevalence of genital HPV and associated risk factors among women in Lagos, Nigeria. Exfoliated cervical cells were collected with consent from 165 women using a cervical brush. Viral DNA was extracted and amplified by nested PCR using two sets of consensus primers (MY09/11 and GP5+/6+). An unconditional logistic regression model was used to identify predictors of HPV positivity. The HPV prevalence was 81.82% in all women and 87.59% in women with normal cytology. The risk of HPV infection was significantly increased among women who had a history of STI (odds ratio (OR) 3.94; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.51-10.25, p = 0.005) while there was a significantly reduced risk of HPV infection among those who used condoms (odds ratio (OR) 3.94; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.18-0.91, p = 0.03). The HPV prevalence observed shows an increased transmission of the virus in Lagos, Nigeria. Therefore, there is a need for intense public awareness and the implementation of early detection tests, treatment, and vaccination to prevent an increase in cervical cancer cases in Lagos, Nigeria.