Decreased influenza activity during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana, 2020.

Autor:	Asante IA; National Influenza Centre, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana., Nyarko SO; National Influenza Centre, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.; U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit EURAFCENT, Accra, Ghana., Awuku-Larbi Y; National Influenza Centre, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana., Obeng RA; National Influenza Centre, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.; U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit EURAFCENT, Accra, Ghana., Sarpong GM; National Influenza Centre, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana., Amenuvor EAA; National Influenza Centre, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.; U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit EURAFCENT, Accra, Ghana., Adusei-Poku M; National Influenza Centre, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.; Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana., Boatemaa L; National Influenza Centre, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana., Magnusen V; National Influenza Centre, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.; West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana., Wutsika J; National Influenza Centre, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.; U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit EURAFCENT, Accra, Ghana., Ago S; National Influenza Centre, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.; U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit EURAFCENT, Accra, Ghana., Kwasah L; National Influenza Centre, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana., Wordui J; National Influenza Centre, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.; U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit EURAFCENT, Accra, Ghana., Tackie RA; National Influenza Centre, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.; U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit EURAFCENT, Accra, Ghana., Laryea DO; Ghana Health Service, Ministry of Health, Accra, Ghana., Asiedu-Bekoe F; Ghana Health Service, Ministry of Health, Accra, Ghana., Asiedu W; Public Health Division, 37 Military Hospital, Ghana Armed Forces, Accra, Ghana., Mingle DL; Public Health Division, 37 Military Hospital, Ghana Armed Forces, Accra, Ghana., Nyarko EO; Public Health Division, 37 Military Hospital, Ghana Armed Forces, Accra, Ghana., Fox A; U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit EURAFCENT, Accra, Ghana., Nimo-Paintsil SC; U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit EURAFCENT, Accra, Ghana., Attram N; U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit EURAFCENT, Accra, Ghana., Sanders T; U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit EURAFCENT, Accra, Ghana., Ampofo WK; National Influenza Centre, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Frontiers in public health [Front Public Health] 2024 Jan 16; Vol. 11, pp. 1290553. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jan 16 (Print Publication: 2023).
DOI:	10.3389/fpubh.2023.1290553
Abstrakt:	Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant effect on influenza activity globally. In this study, we analyzed trends of influenza activity in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using active prospective influenza surveillance data from 29 sentinel sites. At the sentinel sites, we enrolled patients presenting with symptoms based on the WHO case definition for influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory illness (SARI). Oro and nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from patients and tested for the presence of influenza viruses using specific primers and probes described by the US-CDC. The percentage of positivity for influenza between 2017-2019 and 2021 was compared to 2020. Using the test for proportions in STATA 17.0 we estimated the difference in influenza activities between two periods. Results and Discussion: Influenza activity occurred in a single wave during the 2020 surveillance season into 2021, September 28 2020-March 7 2021 (week 40, 2020-week 9, 2021). Influenza activity in 2020 was significantly lower compared to previous years (2017- 2019, 2021). Influenza A (H3) was more commonly detected during the early part of the year (December 30, 2019-March 8, 2020), while influenza B Victoria was more commonly detected toward the end of the year (September 28-December 28). In Ghana, adherence to the community mitigation strategies introduced to reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2, which affected the transmission of other infectious diseases, may have also impacted the transmission of influenza. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in Ghana to describe the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on influenza activity. The continuation and strict adherence to the non-pharmaceutical interventions at the community level can help reduce influenza transmission in subsequent seasons. Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. (Copyright © 2024 Asante, Nyarko, Awuku-Larbi, Obeng, Sarpong, Amenuvor, Adusei-Poku, Boatemaa, Magnusen, Wutsika, Ago, Kwasah, Wordui, Tackie, Laryea, Asiedu-Bekoe, Asiedu, Mingle, Nyarko, Fox, Nimo-Paintsil, Attram, Sanders and Ampofo.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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