The Detection of Influenza Virus Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Cameroon.
Influenza Other Respir Viruses
; 18(5): e13313, 2024 May.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38757747
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Influenza and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are both respiratory viruses with similar clinical manifestations and modes of transmission. This study describes influenza data before and during the coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19) in Cameroon and SARS-CoV-2 data during the pandemic period.METHODS:
The study ran from 2017 to 2022, and data were divided into two periods before (2017-2019) and during (2020-2022) the COVID-19 pandemic. Nasopharyngeal samples collected from persons with respiratory illness were tested for influenza using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) typing and subtyping assays. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the respiratory specimens were simultaneously tested for SARS-CoV-2 using the DaAn gene protocol or the Abbott real-time SARS-CoV-2 assay. The WHO average curve method was used to compare influenza virus seasonality before and during the pandemic.RESULTS:
A total of 6246 samples were tested. Influenza virus detection rates were significantly higher in the pre-pandemic period compared to the pandemic period (30.8% vs. 15.5%; p < 0.001). Meanwhile, the SARS-CoV-2 detection rate was 2.5%. A change in the seasonality of influenza viruses was observed from a bi-annual peak before the pandemic to no clear seasonal pattern during the pandemic. The age groups 2-4 and 5-14 years were significantly associated with higher influenza positivity rates in both pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. For SARS-CoV-2, all age groups above 15 years were the most affected population.CONCLUSION:
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the seasonal influenza by changing the seasonality of the virus and reducing its detection rates.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Influenza Humana
/
SARS-CoV-2
/
COVID-19
Limite:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Aged
/
Child
/
Child, preschool
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Infant
/
Male
/
Middle aged
País/Região como assunto:
Africa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Influenza Other Respir Viruses
Assunto da revista:
VIROLOGIA
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Camarões
País de publicação:
Reino Unido