Publications by authors named "Benito Kazenza"
Introduction: Food insecurity is a vital issue, especially in places such as Kinshasa. Additionally, food insecurity has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Thus, this study examined food insecurity in Kinshasa after the peak of the pandemic to understand the impact of post-pandemic recovery efforts as well as the heterogeneity of this problem according to the residence of respondent (slum vs.
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- Vaccination against COVID-19 has been underutilized in Africa, prompting a study in Kinshasa to investigate vaccination coverage and vaccine hesitancy factors.
- The study surveyed 2,160 households and found that only 15% of respondents had received at least one vaccine dose, while vaccine hesitancy was reported at 67%.
- Concerns about vaccine safety and potential side effects were the primary reasons for hesitation, with factors like being female, under 35, and living in non-slum areas contributing to this reluctance.
Serologic surveys are important tools for estimating the true burden of COVID-19 in a given population. After the first wave of SARS-CoV-2 infections, a household-based survey conducted in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, estimated >292 infections going undiagnosed for every laboratory-confirmed case. To ascertain the cumulative population exposure in Kinshasa after the second wave of COVID-19, we conducted a prospective population-based cross-sectional study using a highly sensitive and specific ELISA kit.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHigh Prevalence of Anti-Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (Anti-SARS-CoV-2) Antibodies After the First Wave of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo: Results of a Cross-sectional Household-Based Survey.
Clin Infect Dis
March 2022
Article Synopsis
- In October 2020, a study in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, aimed to determine the true prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the general population, revealing a much higher level of infection than the officially reported cases.
- The serosurvey involved 1233 participants and found a weighted, age-standardized seroprevalence of 16.6%, with the majority being women and a mean age of 32.4 years.
- The study highlighted an infection-to-case ratio of 292:1, emphasizing the need for ongoing serosurveys to inform public health policies regarding COVID-19 response measures.