Comparative analysis of COVID-19 and influenza prevalence among Egyptian pilgrims returning from Hajj and Umrah in 2022: epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and genomic sequencing
Abstract Purpose To describe the changes that occurred in the SARS-CoV-2 and influenza Prevalence, epidemiology, clinical picture, and prevalent genotypes among the Egyptian pilgrims returning from Hajj and Umrah 2022 seasons. Methods Pilgrims were contacted at the airport and invited to participate...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Archives of Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13690-023-01229-6 |
| _version_ | 1797356017359519744 |
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| author | Amr Kandeel Manal Fahim Ola Deghedy Hala BahaaEldin Wael H. Roshdy Mohamed Kamal Khalifa Ahmed Kandeil Rabeh El Shesheny Amel Naguib Mohamad AbdelFatah Salma Afifi Khaled Abdel Ghaffar |
| author_facet | Amr Kandeel Manal Fahim Ola Deghedy Hala BahaaEldin Wael H. Roshdy Mohamed Kamal Khalifa Ahmed Kandeil Rabeh El Shesheny Amel Naguib Mohamad AbdelFatah Salma Afifi Khaled Abdel Ghaffar |
| author_sort | Amr Kandeel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Purpose To describe the changes that occurred in the SARS-CoV-2 and influenza Prevalence, epidemiology, clinical picture, and prevalent genotypes among the Egyptian pilgrims returning from Hajj and Umrah 2022 seasons. Methods Pilgrims were contacted at the airport and invited to participate in the survey. Pilgrims who consented were interviewed using a standardized line list that included participant demographics, respiratory symptoms if any, previous COVID-19 infection, influenza vaccination whereas COVID-19 vaccination information were collected from vaccination cards. Participants were asked to provide throat and nasopharyngeal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 and influenza testing using RT-PCR and a subset of isolates were sequenced. Descriptive data analysis was performed to describe the epidemiology and clinical symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza. Prevalence rates of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza during Hajj were calculated and compared to Umrah surveys using chi2 and t-test with a significance level < 0.05. Results Overall, 3,862 Egyptian pilgrims enrolled, their mean age was 50.5 ± 47 years, half of them were > 50 years of age and 58.2% were males. Of them, 384 (9.9%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and 51 (1.3%) for influenza viruses. Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infections (vaccine breakthrough) increased significantly between the Umrah and Hajj surveys (6.7% vs. 9.9%, p < 0.001), and variants of the virus varied considerably. Whereas no significant difference was found in influenza prevalence, vaccine coverage and vaccine breakthrough infection rates (11.7 vs. 9.2%, 26.9 vs. 26.8%, and 1.4 vs. 1.1% respectively). Conclusions SARS-CoV-2 prevalence among Egyptian pilgrims returning from Hajj in July increased with reduced vaccine effectiveness compared to Umrah in March 2022 suggesting a possible wave of SARS-CoV-2 in the upcoming winter. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:19:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c742b004b8cc43c0b86b02430814a479 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2049-3258 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:19:32Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Archives of Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-c742b004b8cc43c0b86b02430814a4792024-01-14T12:12:50ZengBMCArchives of Public Health2049-32582024-01-0182111010.1186/s13690-023-01229-6Comparative analysis of COVID-19 and influenza prevalence among Egyptian pilgrims returning from Hajj and Umrah in 2022: epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and genomic sequencingAmr Kandeel0Manal Fahim1Ola Deghedy2Hala BahaaEldin3Wael H. Roshdy4Mohamed Kamal Khalifa5Ahmed Kandeil6Rabeh El Shesheny7Amel Naguib8Mohamad AbdelFatah9Salma Afifi10Khaled Abdel Ghaffar11Preventive Sector, Ministry of Health and PopulationDepartment of Epidemiology and Surveillance, Preventive Sector, Ministry of Health and PopulationDepartment of Epidemiology and Surveillance, Preventive Sector, Ministry of Health and PopulationDepartment of Epidemiology and Surveillance, Preventive Sector, Ministry of Health and PopulationCentral Public Health Laboratory, Ministry of Health and PopulationCentral Public Health Laboratory, Ministry of Health and PopulationCentre of Scientific Excellence for Influenza Viruses, National Research CentreCentre of Scientific Excellence for Influenza Viruses, National Research CentreCentral Public Health Laboratory, Ministry of Health and PopulationPreventive Sector, Ministry of Health and PopulationMinistry of Health and Population ConsultantMinistry of Health and PopulationAbstract Purpose To describe the changes that occurred in the SARS-CoV-2 and influenza Prevalence, epidemiology, clinical picture, and prevalent genotypes among the Egyptian pilgrims returning from Hajj and Umrah 2022 seasons. Methods Pilgrims were contacted at the airport and invited to participate in the survey. Pilgrims who consented were interviewed using a standardized line list that included participant demographics, respiratory symptoms if any, previous COVID-19 infection, influenza vaccination whereas COVID-19 vaccination information were collected from vaccination cards. Participants were asked to provide throat and nasopharyngeal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 and influenza testing using RT-PCR and a subset of isolates were sequenced. Descriptive data analysis was performed to describe the epidemiology and clinical symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza. Prevalence rates of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza during Hajj were calculated and compared to Umrah surveys using chi2 and t-test with a significance level < 0.05. Results Overall, 3,862 Egyptian pilgrims enrolled, their mean age was 50.5 ± 47 years, half of them were > 50 years of age and 58.2% were males. Of them, 384 (9.9%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and 51 (1.3%) for influenza viruses. Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infections (vaccine breakthrough) increased significantly between the Umrah and Hajj surveys (6.7% vs. 9.9%, p < 0.001), and variants of the virus varied considerably. Whereas no significant difference was found in influenza prevalence, vaccine coverage and vaccine breakthrough infection rates (11.7 vs. 9.2%, 26.9 vs. 26.8%, and 1.4 vs. 1.1% respectively). Conclusions SARS-CoV-2 prevalence among Egyptian pilgrims returning from Hajj in July increased with reduced vaccine effectiveness compared to Umrah in March 2022 suggesting a possible wave of SARS-CoV-2 in the upcoming winter.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13690-023-01229-6Influenza AInfluenza BSARS-CoV-2COVID-19Breakthrough InfectionVaccine effectiveness |
| spellingShingle | Amr Kandeel Manal Fahim Ola Deghedy Hala BahaaEldin Wael H. Roshdy Mohamed Kamal Khalifa Ahmed Kandeil Rabeh El Shesheny Amel Naguib Mohamad AbdelFatah Salma Afifi Khaled Abdel Ghaffar Comparative analysis of COVID-19 and influenza prevalence among Egyptian pilgrims returning from Hajj and Umrah in 2022: epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and genomic sequencing Archives of Public Health Influenza A Influenza B SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 Breakthrough Infection Vaccine effectiveness |
| title | Comparative analysis of COVID-19 and influenza prevalence among Egyptian pilgrims returning from Hajj and Umrah in 2022: epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and genomic sequencing |
| title_full | Comparative analysis of COVID-19 and influenza prevalence among Egyptian pilgrims returning from Hajj and Umrah in 2022: epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and genomic sequencing |
| title_fullStr | Comparative analysis of COVID-19 and influenza prevalence among Egyptian pilgrims returning from Hajj and Umrah in 2022: epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and genomic sequencing |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparative analysis of COVID-19 and influenza prevalence among Egyptian pilgrims returning from Hajj and Umrah in 2022: epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and genomic sequencing |
| title_short | Comparative analysis of COVID-19 and influenza prevalence among Egyptian pilgrims returning from Hajj and Umrah in 2022: epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and genomic sequencing |
| title_sort | comparative analysis of covid 19 and influenza prevalence among egyptian pilgrims returning from hajj and umrah in 2022 epidemiology clinical characteristics and genomic sequencing |
| topic | Influenza A Influenza B SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 Breakthrough Infection Vaccine effectiveness |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13690-023-01229-6 |
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