Evaluation by RT-PCR of the Nasopharyngal Carriage Rate of SARS-CoV-2 Among Travelers Leaving the Country (Senegal)

Introduction: The new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, discovered at the end of 2019, led to a pandemic as early as March 2020, affecting all areas of life, and travelers were not spared. The objective of this work was to estimate the frequency of nasopharyngeal carriage of SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR in travelers leaving the country (Senegal) and to determine the factors associated with this carriage. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at the National Public Health Laboratory (LNSP) of Thiès from December 2020 to February 2021. It included 500 travelers selected by the convenience non- random sampling method. Demographic and clinical data were collected using a standardized form. The RT-PCR test was performed using nasopharyngeal samples. Results: 480 patients were declared asymptomatic. The RT-PCR positivity rate was 6% overall. The majority of patients came from the Thiès region (80%).The average age of the patients was 39 years old. The majority of patients (60%) were male. 2% of travelers had at least one medical comorbidity (diabetes, asthma and / or obesity). The most frequent clinical signs were cold 10% and cough 3.3%. Conclusion: Our results showed a low proportion of COVID-19 positive travelers. These patients were mainly elderly, male and asymptomatic.