Publications by authors named "H Gumbo"
Background: SARS-CoV-2 continues to be a major issue in resource-limited settings, particularly owing to the limited supply of vaccinescaused by inequitable distribution.
Objective: To monitor diagnostic gene targets to identify potential test failures caused by mutations, which is important for public health.
Methods: Here we analysed the genome sequence of SARS-CoV-2 from the second wave in Zimbabwe.
Article Synopsis
- A lot of money has been spent on studying the COVID-19 virus in Africa, leading to over 100,000 virus samples being analyzed to understand the spread of the disease.
- *More countries in Africa are now able to do these studies themselves, which helps them get results faster and keep a close watch on the virus.
- *To keep fighting COVID and other diseases, more funding and support for testing and research in Africa is really important for the future.
Genomic epidemiology and the role of international and regional travel in the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Zimbabwe: a retrospective study of routinely collected surveillance data.
Tapfumanei Mashe Faustinos Tatenda Takawira Leonardo de Oliveira Martins Muchaneta Gudza-Mugabe Joconiah Chirenda Hlanai Gumbo
Lancet Glob Health
December 2021
Article Synopsis
- Whole genome sequencing was utilized in Zimbabwe to analyze the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak and assess the effectiveness of public health measures between March and October 2020.* ! -
- Out of 92,299 collected samples, 8099 tested positive for COVID-19, with 156 suitable for sequencing; the data revealed 26 independent virus introductions linked to 12 global variants, predominantly from outside Zimbabwe.* ! -
- The study highlighted that initial public health measures successfully delayed community transmission of the virus, underscoring the importance of global sequencing data to track and manage the spread effectively.* !
Article Synopsis
- The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Africa has varied significantly across countries, and its overall impact remains unclear.
- An analysis of 8,746 genomes from 33 African countries indicated that most outbreaks originated from Europe before international travel restrictions took effect.
- As the pandemic continued, increased movement and local transmission led to the emergence of several variants within Africa, emphasizing the need for a strong pandemic response on the continent to prevent becoming a source of new variants.