A snapshot of the demographic dynamics of COVID-19 surveillance in Southeastern Nigeria

After COVID-19 was declared a pandemic on March 12, 2020, its swift spread across continents caused widespread devastation in virtually all aspects of life. The first case in Nigeria was reported on February 28, 2020, followed by a rapid spread to all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in Nigeria. The aim of this study was to conduct a comprehensive surveillance of COVID-19 incidences in Ebonyi State, Southeastern Nigeria. Over a span of 24 calendar months (April 2020 to March 2022), clinical swab samples [nasopharyngeal swabs (42,611), oropharyngeal swabs (200), and nasal swabs (107)] were collected from 42,918 individuals (23,562 males and 19,356 females) suspected of having COVID-19 symptoms. Collected samples were processed and analyzed by qRT-PCR. Out of the 42,918 individuals that were examined for COVID-19 infections, 13,683 (31.9%) were confirmed to be positive by PCR. COVID-19 infections were more predominant in males (33.7%) than in females (29.6%). The age group with the highest number of infected individuals was the age group of 31–40, followed by ≥ 41years. Interestingly, low number of cases were recorded among children (0.1%). Educational status also impacted COVID-19 incidence as the highest frequency of cases was observed among uneducated individuals (35%). This was closely followed by individuals with primary education status (27.8%) , while the lowest COVID-19 incidence was recorded among individuals with secondary education status (15.4%) . Intriguingly, with regards to occupational status, the highest incidence was recorded among traders (41.4%); this was closely followed by students (9.7%). This study showed a higher incidence of COVID-19 infection among males, age group of 31–40 years old, individuals without formal education, and traders. Our study has been able to provide a detailed demographic snapshot of the COVID-19 situation in Ebonyi State, Southeastern Nigeria and proffer significant insights that would guide future preparedness and response efforts.