Highlights High global demand for SARS-CoV-2 testing to identify COVID-19 cases. qRT-PCR recommended diagnostic test but constraints such as cost prevent its use. Simple, low cost, and easy-to-use rapid antigen diagnostic tests urgently required. STANDARD Q COVID-19 Ag test exhibits less than optimal performance. Test may be used when molecular testing access is poor but qRT-PCR still required.

Zidovudine/lamivudine/tenofovir has good virological efficacy in advanced HIV disease. In this population, who were infected with HIV-1 subtypes A, C or D, M184V with or without NAMs was the most common route to resistance, whereas K65R was identified less often.

Although elimination of nevirapine was faster than previously published after a single dose, the data suggest that an additional staggered period of 7-10 days with dual nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor cover is necessary for African patients discontinuing nevirapine.

Background: In 2012, the World Health Organization recommended that pregnant women in malaria-endemic countries complete at least three (optimal) doses of intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp) using sulfadoxinepyrimethamine (SP) to prevent malaria and related adverse events during pregnancy. Uganda adopted this recommendation, but uptake remains low in East-Central and information to explain this low uptake remains scanty. This analysis determined correlates of uptake of optimal doses of IPTp-SP in East-Central Uganda. Methods:This was a secondary analysis of the 2016 Uganda Demographic Health Survey data on 579 women (15-49 years) who attended at least one antenatal care (ANC) visit and had a live birth within 2 years preceding the survey. Uptake of IPTp-SP was defined as optimal if a woman received at least three doses; partial if they received 1-2 doses or none if they received no dose. Multivariate analysis using multinomial logistic regression was used to determine correlates of IPTp-SP uptake. Results:Overall, 22.3% of women received optimal doses of IPTp-SP, 48.2% partial and 29.5% none. Attending ANC at a lower-level health centre relative to a hospital was associated with reduced likelihood of receiving optimal doses of IPTp-SP. Belonging to other religious faiths relative to Catholic, belonging to a household in the middle relative to poorest wealth index, and age 30 and above years relative to 25-29 years were associated with higher likelihood of receiving optimal doses of IPTp-SP. Conclusions:In East-Central Uganda, uptake of optimal doses of IPTp-SP is very low. Improving institutional delivery and household wealth, involving religious leaders in programmes to improve uptake of IPTp-SP, and strengthening IPTp-SP activities at lower level health centers may improve uptake of IPTp-SP in the East-Central Uganda.

Among a prospective cohort of children and adults admitted to a national COVID-19 treatment unit in Uganda from March to December 2020, we characterized the epidemiology of and risk factors for severe illness. Across two epidemic phases differentiated by varying levels of community transmission, the proportion of patients admitted with WHO-defined severe COVID-19 ranged from 5% (7/146; 95% CI: 2–10) to 33% (41/124; 95% CI: 25–42); 21% (26/124; 95% CI: 14–29%) of patients admitted during the peak phase received oxygen therapy. Severe COVID-19 was associated with older age, male sex, and longer duration of illness before admission. Coinfection with HIV was not associated with illness severity; malaria or tuberculosis coinfection was rare. No patients died during admission. Despite low mortality, hospital incidence of severe COVID-19 during the first epidemic peak in Uganda was substantial. Improvements in vaccine deployment and acute care capacity, including oxygen delivery, are urgently needed to prevent and manage severe COVID-19 in sub-Saharan Africa.