The importation and establishment of community transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during the first eight weeks of the South African COVID-19 epidemic.

ABSTRACT:

Background

We describe the epidemiology of COVID-19 in South Africa following importation and during implementation of stringent lockdown measures.

Methods

Using national surveillance data including demographics, laboratory test data, clinical presentation, risk exposures (travel history, contacts and occupation) and outcomes of persons undergoing COVID-19 testing or hospitalised with COVID-19 at sentinel surveillance sites, we generated and interpreted descriptive statistics, epidemic curves, and initial reproductive numbers (Rt).

Findings

From 4 March to 30 April 2020, 271,670 SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests were performed (462 tests/100,000 persons). Of these, 7,892 (2.9%) persons tested positive (median age 37 years (interquartile range 28-49 years), 4,568 (58%) male, cumula

SUBMITTER: McCarthy KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8360332 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature