Identification and monitoring of COVID-19 contacts in Timbuktu, Mali in 2020

Abstract

Introduction: Contact tracing is a major issue in the prevention and management of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of contact tracing for COVID-19 in the Timbuktu region in 2020. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted from 27 April to 15 July 2020 in Timbuktu among COVID-19-positive contacts. Results: Of the 1,049 contacts investigated, the mean age was 25.25 ± 16.20 years and the male-to- female ratio was 1.2. Participants aged 15 to 24 years accounted for 29.84%. Students made up 39.14% of the population, housewives 16.11% and artisans/manual workers 13.06%. Regarding the links between contacts and positive cases, other family members (72.74%), spouses (10.1%) and friends/relatives (9.15%) were the most common. Type 1 was the most common, accounting for 91.52%. Identification during the first week accounted for 91.70% compared with 8.30% during the second week. Approximately 60.23% underwent PCR testing, of whom 10.91% tested positive, representing an attack rate of 6.57%. The case fatality rate was 2.89%. The peak in positive cases was observed in week W22. Conclusion: Our study highlighted the extent of transmission among close contacts (one positive contact out of every nine tested). We also found a relatively high risk of death, at 2.89%. These findings underscore the critical importance of identifying and testing close contacts to ensure a more effective response.