COVID-19 in Princess Marina Hospital, Botswana: An Outbreak Investigation

Abstract

The Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone, Botswana, had an outbreak of COVID-19 from early August 2020. The aim of this paper was to describe the outbreak investigation. The investigation’s specific objectives were to describe the COVID-19 cases in terms of person, place, and time (PPT) and to determine measures to prevent further transmission of the infection. The data reported herein were collected over a 3-month period from beginning of August to end of October 2020. The investigation included all COVID-19 cases i.e. both patients and healthcare workers. It followed the steps of an outbreak investigation. These included assembling an investigation team comprising both the hospital and DHMT staff. All the wards reported their confirmed cases to the infection control team who in turn prepared line lists and case reports. Epicurves were produced from date of positive result. A total of 193 cases were reported, of which 110 (57.0%) were patients and 83 (43.0%) were healthcare workers. The median age was 35 years. Females accounted for 154 (79.8%) participants. Most of the wards were affected. The wards with the highest numbers of cases were female medical ward (39), emergency department (24), gynecology ward (17), and pediatric medical ward (10). Control measures included restricting movement into the hospital as well as clinical screening at all entry points. Furthermore, all patients were tested before admission into the wards. Surveillance of COVID-19 cases was continued beyond the 3 months reported in this paper. COVID-19 can spread rapidly in hospital settings affecting both patients and healthcare workers. Outbreak investigations including describing cases in terms of person, place, and time are critical if the most effective and efficient control measures are to be implemented.

Prevalence and predictors of depression, anxiety and stress among frontline healthcare workers at COVID-19 isolation sites in Gaborone, Botswana

“…Participants were categorized into normal, mild, moderate, severe and extremely severe according to the cut-off in the respective subscales. The depression subscale is made up of questions 3,5,10,13,16,17,21,24,26,31,34,37,38 and 42. This scale was divided into normal (0-9), mild depression (10-13), moderate depression (14-20), severe depression (21-27) and extremely severe depression (>28).…”

“…The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the illness a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 30 th January 2020 and a pandemic on 11 th March 2020 [ 2 ]. Botswana has not been spared by the COVID-19 pandemic [ 3 ]. Several measures were implemented to control the spread of COVID-19 in the country.…”

Knowledge, attitudes and preventive practices towards COVID-19 among workers at two points of entry in South-Eastern Botswana: A cross-sectional study

“…The formula for the minimum sample size in a cross sectional study is n = z � z P (1-P)/d � d where n is the sample size, z is the z statistic, P is the expected prevalence or proportion and d is the margin of error (13). The conventional z statistic of 1.96 for a 95% confidence interval was used and the precision was set at 5% or 0.05.…”

“…Botswana is a landlocked country in Southern Africa that shares major borders with South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia. The country has not been spared by the COVID-19 pandemic [ 13 , 14 ]. A significant number of cases in Botswana were imported.…”

“…A significant number of cases in Botswana were imported. This was particularly true during the early stages of the pandemic [ 13 ]. Therefore, the need for the country to comply with the IHR guidance in this critical time cannot be overemphasized.…”