Molecular Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 within Accra Metropolis Postlockdown
Introduction. Currently, sequencing has been the only tool for the identification of circulating severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants. However, it is known to be an expensive and laborious approach involving high technical expertise. Considering the reduced adherence...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Advances in Virology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2024/2993144 |
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| author | Frank T. Aboagye Lawrence Annison Henry Kwadwo Hackman Maame E. Acquah Yvonne Ashong Isaac Owusu-Frimpong Bill C. Egyam Sharon Annison George Osei-Adjei Samuel Antwi-Baffour |
| author_facet | Frank T. Aboagye Lawrence Annison Henry Kwadwo Hackman Maame E. Acquah Yvonne Ashong Isaac Owusu-Frimpong Bill C. Egyam Sharon Annison George Osei-Adjei Samuel Antwi-Baffour |
| author_sort | Frank T. Aboagye |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction. Currently, sequencing has been the only tool for the identification of circulating severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants. However, it is known to be an expensive and laborious approach involving high technical expertise. Considering the reduced adherence to preventive measures postlockdown in Accra, this study presents an alternative method that leverages polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to identify circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants in the Accra Metropolis postlockdown. Methods. This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted between July and December 2022. Nasopharyngeal samples were collected from 268 consenting participants. Samples were subjected to nucleic acid extraction and followed by real-time polymerase chain reaction for the detection and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. SARS-CoV-2 positive samples were subsequently subjected to variant identification using rapid PCR. Findings. The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 within the Accra Metropolis was 30.2%. The majority of the SARS-CoV-2 infection was diagnosed in females, participants aged 41–50 years, and symptomatic participants. Participants aged ≤10 years and females recorded the highest viral load while participants aged 41–50 years recorded the highest number of infections. The SARS-CoV-2 variants detected were Alpha (64.2%), Delta (22.2%), and Omicron (13.6%). Predictors of SARS-CoV-2 infection identified were chills, cough, headache, body weakness, sore throat, and dyspnoea in order of decreasing association with SARS-CoV-2 infection. There was a strong association between symptom status, gender, age, and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Conclusion. There was a high prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 within the Accra Metropolis postlockdown within the sampling period. The Alpha variant of SARS-CoV-2 is the predominant circulating variant, and persons presenting with symptoms are most likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19. Children aged ≤10 years serve as a reservoir for infection transmission. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5ac3e876f6ef4a3fb7de90a64eac85f6 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1687-8647 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Advances in Virology |
| spelling | doaj-art-5ac3e876f6ef4a3fb7de90a64eac85f62025-02-03T05:55:20ZengWileyAdvances in Virology1687-86472024-01-01202410.1155/2024/2993144Molecular Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 within Accra Metropolis PostlockdownFrank T. Aboagye0Lawrence Annison1Henry Kwadwo Hackman2Maame E. Acquah3Yvonne Ashong4Isaac Owusu-Frimpong5Bill C. Egyam6Sharon Annison7George Osei-Adjei8Samuel Antwi-Baffour9Department of Medical Laboratory TechnologyDepartment of Medical Laboratory TechnologyDepartment of Medical Laboratory TechnologyWest African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious PathogensDepartment of ParasitologyBiomedical and Public Health Research UnitDepartment of Molecular BiologyDepartment of Epidemiology and Disease ControlDepartment of Medical Laboratory TechnologyDepartment of Medical Laboratory SciencesIntroduction. Currently, sequencing has been the only tool for the identification of circulating severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants. However, it is known to be an expensive and laborious approach involving high technical expertise. Considering the reduced adherence to preventive measures postlockdown in Accra, this study presents an alternative method that leverages polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to identify circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants in the Accra Metropolis postlockdown. Methods. This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted between July and December 2022. Nasopharyngeal samples were collected from 268 consenting participants. Samples were subjected to nucleic acid extraction and followed by real-time polymerase chain reaction for the detection and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. SARS-CoV-2 positive samples were subsequently subjected to variant identification using rapid PCR. Findings. The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 within the Accra Metropolis was 30.2%. The majority of the SARS-CoV-2 infection was diagnosed in females, participants aged 41–50 years, and symptomatic participants. Participants aged ≤10 years and females recorded the highest viral load while participants aged 41–50 years recorded the highest number of infections. The SARS-CoV-2 variants detected were Alpha (64.2%), Delta (22.2%), and Omicron (13.6%). Predictors of SARS-CoV-2 infection identified were chills, cough, headache, body weakness, sore throat, and dyspnoea in order of decreasing association with SARS-CoV-2 infection. There was a strong association between symptom status, gender, age, and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Conclusion. There was a high prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 within the Accra Metropolis postlockdown within the sampling period. The Alpha variant of SARS-CoV-2 is the predominant circulating variant, and persons presenting with symptoms are most likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19. Children aged ≤10 years serve as a reservoir for infection transmission.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2024/2993144 |
| spellingShingle | Frank T. Aboagye Lawrence Annison Henry Kwadwo Hackman Maame E. Acquah Yvonne Ashong Isaac Owusu-Frimpong Bill C. Egyam Sharon Annison George Osei-Adjei Samuel Antwi-Baffour Molecular Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 within Accra Metropolis Postlockdown Advances in Virology |
| title | Molecular Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 within Accra Metropolis Postlockdown |
| title_full | Molecular Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 within Accra Metropolis Postlockdown |
| title_fullStr | Molecular Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 within Accra Metropolis Postlockdown |
| title_full_unstemmed | Molecular Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 within Accra Metropolis Postlockdown |
| title_short | Molecular Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 within Accra Metropolis Postlockdown |
| title_sort | molecular epidemiology of sars cov 2 within accra metropolis postlockdown |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2024/2993144 |
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