{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,23]],"date-time":"2025-12-23T15:38:14Z","timestamp":1766504294182,"version":"3.40.3"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene","issue":"4_Suppl","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,1]],"date-time":"2025-04-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1743465600000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT.<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Robust testing strategies are an essential aspect of COVID-19 pandemic preparedness and response. In 2022, most regions of Cameroon were still below the WHO\u2019s recommended level of 10 COVID-19 tests per 10,000 population. This study aimed to detect SARS-CoV-2 cases in university settings in Cameroon using antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) to increase national testing capacity and assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of this population regarding COVID-19 infection. Six universities in Buea, Douala, Dschang, Maroua, Ngaoundere, and Yaounde participated in this study from June to October 2022. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from participants and tested for COVID-19 using Ag-RDTs. For all positive cases, high-risk contacts were also tested by Ag-RDT. Participants were administered a structured questionnaire to assess their knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding COVID-19. A total of 7,006 participants were recruited, and 54 (0.8%) were positive for SARS-CoV-2. Among close contacts, three of 62 (4.8%) tested positive. The University of Maroua was the only site to consistently report satisfactory testing capacity, achieving the study target of 30 tests\/10,000 in 94.1% of cases. Participants\u2019 knowledge of COVID-19 was moderate to good (\u226550%). However, 28% were unsure about the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine. Two main factors were identified that could facilitate the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in university settings, namely the lack of restrictions on entering campus without a mask (36%) and the non-respect of social distancing on campus (42.7%). The results of this study will guide future policies to better control diseases with epidemic or pandemic potential by targeting educational institutions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.23-0744","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,21]],"date-time":"2024-10-21T12:47:31Z","timestamp":1729514851000},"page":"84-91","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Use of Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Test for Detection of COVID-19 Cases in University Settings in Cameroon"],"prefix":"10.4269","volume":"112","author":[{"given":"Chavely Gwladys","family":"Monamele","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Virology, Centre Pasteur Cameroon, Yaounde, Cameroon;"},{"name":"Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Landry","family":"Messanga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Virology, Centre Pasteur Cameroon, Yaounde, Cameroon;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nicolas","family":"Njintang Yanou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Ngaoundere, Ngaoundere, Cameroon;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Gustave","family":"Simo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biochesmistry, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Carole Else","family":"Eboumbou Moukoko","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Henri","family":"Moumbeket","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Virology, Centre Pasteur Cameroon, Yaounde, Cameroon;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Abdou Fatawou","family":"Modyinyi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Virology, Centre Pasteur Cameroon, Yaounde, Cameroon;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ripa","family":"Mohamadou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Virology, Centre Pasteur Cameroon, Yaounde, Cameroon;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yacouba","family":"Foupouapouognigni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Armand","family":"Abdou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Agriculture, Livestock and By Products, National Advanced School of Engineering, University of Maroua, Maroua, Cameroon;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jane-Francis Tatah Kihla","family":"Akoachere","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Pallavi","family":"Dani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"FIND, Geneva, Switzerland;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Anne","family":"Hoppe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"FIND, Geneva, Switzerland;"},{"name":"Director of Innovation, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Geneva, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Richard","family":"Njouom","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Virology, Centre Pasteur Cameroon, Yaounde, 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