Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and associated risk factors during the second wave of infection in a university community in Cameroon.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a public health emergency in all sectors of society, including universities and other academic institutions in Cameroon. However, little is known concerning the real prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections among student communities during the second wave of infection in Cameroon. This study aimed to estimate SARS-CoV-2 antibodies seroprevalence among participants in a university community in Cameroon. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April 2021 in 547 students aged ≥18 years during a mass diagnostic campaign at the School of Health Sciences of the Catholic University of Central Africa (ESS/UCAC). The anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody screening was done using the Panbio™ COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Diagnostic Test. Results: The overall seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was 27%, of which 89.9% (n = 133) was IgG, 6.7% (n = 10) IgM and 3.4% (n = 5) IgG/IgM positive. The undergraduate students represented 79% (432/547) of the total population and were highly positive with anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies 30% (130/432) as compared with postgraduate students 20% (23/115). The total antibody seropositivity was higher in males (34.4%) than females (24.9%). Several factors were associated with an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence including the male gender (OR: 1.61 [95% confidence interval, CI 1.0-2.4]), specialization to medical laboratory (OR: 2.8 [95% CI 1.1-7.1]) and nursing sciences (OR: 2.6 [95% CI 1.1-6.2]). Conclusion: Our findings point to extensive and underreported circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in a university community during the second wave of infection in Cameroon, which likely resulted in artificially low case counts.

Computational Applications in Secondary Metabolite Discovery (CAiSMD): an online workshop.

We report the major conclusions of the online open-access workshop "Computational Applications in Secondary Metabolite Discovery (CAiSMD)" that took place from 08 to 10 March 2021. Invited speakers from academia and industry and about 200 registered participants from five continents (Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, and North America) took part in the workshop. The workshop highlighted the potential applications of computational methodologies in the search for secondary metabolites (SMs) or natural products (NPs) as potential drugs and drug leads. During 3 days, the participants of this online workshop received an overview of modern computer-based approaches for exploring NP discovery in the "omics" age. The invited experts gave keynote lectures, trained participants in hands-on sessions, and held round table discussions. This was followed by oral presentations with much interaction between the speakers and the audience. Selected applicants (early-career scientists) were offered the opportunity to give oral presentations (15 min) and present posters in the form of flash presentations (5 min) upon submission of an abstract. The final program available on the workshop website ( https://caismd.indiayouth.info/ ) comprised of 4 keynote lectures (KLs), 12 oral presentations (OPs), 2 round table discussions (RTDs), and 5 hands-on sessions (HSs). This meeting report also references internet resources for computational biology in the area of secondary metabolites that are of use outside of the workshop areas and will constitute a long-term valuable source for the community. The workshop concluded with an online survey form to be completed by speakers and participants for the goal of improving any subsequent editions.