SARS-CoV-2 Prevalence among Outpatients during Community Transmission, Zambia, July 2020

Emerg Infect Dis. 2021 Aug;27(8):2166-2168. doi: 10.3201/eid2708.210502.

Abstract

During the July 2020 first wave of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in Zambia, PCR-measured prevalence was 13.4% among outpatients at health facilities, an absolute difference of 5.7% compared with prevalence among community members. This finding suggests that facility testing might be an effective strategy during high community transmission.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; Zambia; coronavirus disease; disease control strategies; disease transmission; pandemics; real-time PCR; respiratory infections; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; whole genome sequencing; zoonoses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19*
  • Humans
  • Outpatients
  • Prevalence
  • SARS-CoV-2*
  • Zambia / epidemiology