A study conducted through the GABRIEL network in collaboration with the Pasteur Center in Cameroon has recently been published in the Journal of Public Health, analyzing the impact of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2022 on the spread of Covid-19 in Garoua, northern Cameroon. This study covers the period from November 2021 to March 2022, and examines the effectiveness of the preventive measures put in place, including PCR tests and health passes, to limit the transmission of the virus among participants and the local population.

The study concentrates on the period before, during and after AFCON, which took place from January 9 to February 5. In total, 1,479 tests were performed among the general population and 2,481 among asymptomatic AFCON participants. In the second group, the rate of infection was 12.5%, mostly with the Omicron variant that emerged in late 2021.

Despite tens of thousands of fans being concentrated in a small area, the results showed a steady decline in positive cases during the event, comparable with the curves observed in neighboring countries over the same period – comparing the data with Nigeria and Gabon shows a similar reduction in positive PCR tests. The strict preventive measures were thus effective in limiting the transmission of the virus. These results also show that AFCON did not lead to a significant increase in Covid-19 cases, demonstrating that similar outdoor events can be organized without raising the transmission rate as long as appropriate non-therapeutic measures are put in place.

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This study was carried out as part of the GABRIEL network’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. In Cameroon, this support increased the capacity of the Pasteur Center’s Garoua branch to detect variants of SARS-CoV-2 and sequence its genome.

About the GABRIEL network

The GABRIEL network was established by the Mérieux Foundation in 2008, and now has 21 member laboratories in 16 countries across Africa, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, South America, and the Caribbean. The network brings together the Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratories, local reference laboratories, as well as academic, university and hospital research institutes. This international scientific network works in synergy to develop research and training capabilities and improve the monitoring of diseases with a major impact on public health in low-income countries.