Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Jan 27:38:93.
doi: 10.11604/pamj.2021.38.93.26663. eCollection 2021.

[Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among travellers and workers screened at the Saint Luc Clinic in Bukavu, a city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, from May to August 2020]

[Article in French]
Philippe Bianga Katchunga  1   2 , Aimé Murhula  1 , Prince Akilimali  1 , Jean Claude Zaluka  1 , Racine Karhikalembu  1 , Mack Makombo  1 , Justin Bisimwa  1 , Eugene Mubalama  1
Affiliations

[Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among travellers and workers screened at the Saint Luc Clinic in Bukavu, a city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, from May to August 2020]

[Article in French]
Philippe Bianga Katchunga et al. Pan Afr Med J. .

Abstract
in English, French

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 serology tests could play a crucial role in estimating the prevalence of COVID-19. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of COVID-19 among travellers and workers in Bukavu, a city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Methods: between May and August 2020, the Cellex qSARS-CoV-2 IgG/IgM Rapid Test (Cellex, Inc., USA), lateral flow immunoassay was used to rapidly detect and differentiate antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 among travellers and workers seeking medical certification.

Results: among the 684 residents of the city of Bukavu screened for COVID-19 (4.2% Hispanic, 2.8% other African, 0.9% Asian), the seroprevalence anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was 40.8% (IgG+/IgM+: 34.6%; IgG+/IgM-: 0.5%; IgG-/IgM+: 5.4%). Cumulative seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies increased from 24.5% to 35.2% from May to August 2020. Independent predictors of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were age > 60 years [adjusted OR = 2.07(1.26-3.38)] and non-membership of the medical staff [adjusted OR = 2.28 (1.22-4.26)]. Thirteen point nine percent of patients seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were symptomatic and hospitalized.

Conclusion: this study shows a very high seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among travellers and workers in Bukavu, a city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, which may positively affect community immunity in the study population. Thus, the management of COVID-19 should be contextualized according to local realities.

Introduction: les tests sérologiques anti-SARS-CoV-2 pourrait jouer un rôle majeur dans l´estimation de la prévalence de la COVID-19. L´objectif était d´estimer la prévalence de la COVID-19 dans la ville de Bukavu, à l'Est de la République Démocratique du Congo, parmi les voyageurs et travailleurs.

Méthodes: entre mai et août 2020, les tests rapides Cellex qSARS-CoV-2 IgG/IgM (Cellex, Inc., USA), test immunologique à flux latéral, ont été utilisés pour détecter et différencier des anticorps anti-SARS-CoV-2 chez les voyageurs et les travailleurs en quête d´un certificat médical.

Résultats: parmi 684 habitants de la ville de Bukavu dépistés de la COVID-19 (4,2% hispaniques, 2,8% autres africains, 0,9% asiatiques), la séroprévalence anti-SARS-CoV-2 était de 40,8% (IgG+/IgM+: 34,6%; IgG+/IgM-: 0,5%; IgG-/IgM+: 5,4%). La séroprévalence cumulée des IgG anti-SARS-CoV-2 est passée de 24,5% à 35,2% de mai à août 2020. Les prédicteurs indépendants des anticorps anti-SARS-CoV-2 étaient l´âge > 60 ans [OR ajusté= 2,07(1,26-3,38)] et la non-appartenance au personnel médical [OR ajusté= 2,28(1,22-4,26)]. Treize virgule neuf pour cent (13,9%) des séropositifs pour les SARS-CoV-2 étaient symptomatiques et hospitalisés.

Conclusion: la présente étude montre une séroprévalence très élevée des anticorps anti-SARS-CoV-2 dans la ville de Bukavu, à l´Est de la République Démocratique du Congo, parmi les voyageurs et travailleurs, pouvant impacter positivement sur l´immunité communautaire de la population étudiée. Ainsi, la prise en charge de la COVID-19 devrait être contextualisée en fonction des réalités de chaque région.

Keywords: Bukavu; Congo; SARS-CoV-2; Seroprevalence.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Les auteurs ne déclarent aucun conflit d´intérêts.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
séroprévalence anti-SARS-CoV-2 en fonction de l´âge et d´origine; Afr: origine congolaise et autre africaine; Hisp: origine hispanique; As: origine asiatique; (A) chez des sujets de moins de 40 ans; (B) chez des sujets entre 40 et 59 ans; (C) chez des sujets de 60 ans et plus
Figure 2
Figure 2
séroprévalence anti-SARS-CoV-2 cumulée globale, des IgG et des IgM
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Zhao S, Lin Q, Ran J, Musa SS, Yang G, Wang W, et al. Preliminary estimation of the basic reproduction number of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in China, from 2019 to 2020: a data-driven analysis in the early phase of the outbreak. Int J Infect Dis. 2020;92:214–17. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lu H, Stratton CW, Tang YW. Outbreak of pneumonia of unknown etiology in Wuhan China: the mystery and the miracle. J Med Virol. 2020 Jan 16; doi: 10.1002/jmv.25678. [Epub ahead of print] - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Cucinotta D, Vanelli M. WHO Declares COVID-19 a Pandemic. Acta Biomed. 2020;91(1):157–160. - PMC - PubMed
    1. World Health Organization. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) World Health Organization. 11 october 2020.
    1. Kai-Wang K, Tak-Yin Tsang O, Leung W-S, Tam AR, Wu T-C, Lung DC, et al. Temporal profiles of viral load in posterior oropharyngeal saliva samples and serum antibody responses during infection by SARS-CoV-2: an observational cohort study. Lancet Infect Dis. 2020 doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30196-1. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Substances