Objectives: Rapid and accurate identification of persons infected with SARS-CoV-2 which causes COVID-19 is key to managing the pandemic. The urgent need to scale up access to COVID-19 testing in Nigeria has led to the government's introduction of the use of COVID-19 Ag rapid diagnostic test (RDT) across various settings in the country. However, field performance evaluation of the rapid SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection test is required to be conducted periodically and compared with the gold standard real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for diagnosis of COVID-19 cases. Design: A prospective COVID-19 screening and un-blinded verification of the performance of the STANDARD Q COVID-19 Ag test kit. Setting: The rapid SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection test, Standard TM Q COVID-19 Ag kit was compared with the RT-PCR test for detection of SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal samples for COVID-19 screening from persons and personnel attending a national youth camp orientation exercise during the second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak (January to March 2021) in Ondo state, southwest Nigeria. Participants: Three hundred fifty-one persons and personnel were screened for COVID-19 infection. Results: Of 351 respondents screened, 68 (19.4%) were positive, and 264 (75.2%) were negative for both COVID-19 Ag RDT and RT-PCR assay. The rapid SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection test's sensitivity and specificity were 78.16% (95% CI = 68.02% -86.31%) and 100.0%
Introduction
continued transmission of Lassa fever has been recorded in 6 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Ondo State in Southwest, Nigeria annually with high case fatality rates. Genomic analysis of the Lassa virus has indicated ongoing transmission from local rodents´ population to humans despite several public health interventions during the outbreak including risk communication on preventive practices against the disease. We assessed adherence to preventive practices by household against the spread of Lassa fever in these affected LGAs.
Methods
a descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among community members in the six affected Local Government Area (LGAs). A semi structured questionnaire was administered to 2992 consenting respondents to assess their reported preventive practice against Lassa fever while their observed practices was assessed using observation checklist. Data analysis was done using frequency, proportions, Chi-Square test and logistic regression of predictors of outcome variable with statistical significance set at p<0.05.
Results
a higher proportion of the respondents were females (51.2%) compared to males (48.8%) with mean age of 43.04±13.97 years. Majority of the respondents (88.2%) were married with at least secondary education (76.7%). Majority of the respondents (80.2%) reported washing their hands with soap and water regularly, 84.6% washed their utensils before and after use likewise. However, 10.6% of the respondents reported not storing their food items in lid-covered containers while 61.9% practiced open air drying of food items by the roadside. Also, 34.3% of the respondents were observed to spread food items outside their home in the open air. Overall, 32.6% of the respondent were observed to have poor preventive practices against Lassa fever with their level of education as a significant determinant.
Conclusion
the poor preventive practices observed among the respondents in this study could sustain the transmission of the virus hence there is also the need to further intensify enforcement of public health control measures for Lassa fever through existing community structures and institutions to stop the current and prevent future Lassa fever and other related outbreaks in the State.
Cultural beliefs that contribute to health behaviour patterns among communities and individuals have most times been regarded as obstacles in the control of infectious diseases. Ondo State in southwest Nigeria since 2016 has persistently recorded Lassa fever transmission in 6 Local Government Areas (LGAs) annually, resulting in high case fatality. Hence, identifying and understanding individual and community attitudes and behaviour associated with the continued transmission of Lassa fever in the State could aid the design of appropriate interventions focused on risk communication efforts to reduce the transmission of the disease.
Methods:A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among community members in six affected LGAs in May 2018. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 2537 consenting respondents to assess their attitudes towards Lassa fever transmission. Data analysis was done using frequency, proportions, Chi-Square test and binary logistic regression of predictors of outcome variable with statistical significance set at p<0.05.
Results:The respondents' median age was 41.0 (12-95) years with the highest proportion in the age group above 36 years 1726 (68%). Slightly more than half of the respondents 1283 (50.6%) were females. Respondents agreed (54.2%) and strongly agreed (39.7%) that handwashing can prevent Lassa fever. Also, 47.7% agreed and 35.9% strongly agreed that washing dead bodies can lead to Lassa fever infection. Most of the respondents (98.3%) were positive or optimistic about the disease transmission. On the multivariate logistic regression, the attitude was statistically significantly associated with LGA location and educational level; those in Idanre
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