Key info


Date:
01 December 2020

Authors:
Oliver J. Watson, Nada Abdelmagid, Aljaile Ahmed, Abd Elhameed Ahmed Abd Elhameed, Charles Whittaker, Nicholas Brazeau, Arran Hamlet, Patrick Walker, James Hay, Azra Ghani, Francesco Checchi, Maysoon Dahab

1Correspondence:
o.watson15@imperial.ac.uk

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WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Modelling, MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Abdul Latif Jameel Institute for Disease and Emergency Analytics (J-IDEA), in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the Sudan COVID-19 Research Group, Sudan Youth Peer Education Network, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Summary

  • A mitigated COVID-19 epidemic (slowing but not stopping epidemic spread) occurred in Khartoum between April and September 2020.
  • In order to predict the trajectory of the emerging second wave, we estimate the level of mortality detected during the first wave and subsequently infer levels of immunity.
  • Between April and September 2020, we estimate that 2% (sensitivity range 2% - 5%) of deaths due to COVID-19 were reported in official reported mortality numbers.
  • We estimate there were 16,090 (95% CI: 14,300 - 17,990) undetected COVID-19 deaths up to 20 November. 
  • We estimate high levels of immunity after the end of the first wave of COVID-19 in Khartoum with 38.0% (95% CI: 35.0% - 41.1%) infected by 20 November 2020.
  • Reductions in COVID-19 incidence during the first wave were due to both the implemented interventions and increasing immunity in the population. 
  • Interventions lead to a reduction in R from 3.5 to 1 by 20 April.
  • The effective reproduction number continued to fall after 20 April, falling to 0.8 at the beginning of July due to increasing immunity.
  • The ending of stringent suppression measures in July resulted in transmission increasing, with continued increases in mobility resulting in R rising above 1 during September.
  • In the absence of further increases in transmission, we predict that the second wave will peak before the beginning of 2021. 
  • We project the second wave to be similar in size to the first wave sustained in the summer if transmission is maintained at current levels.
  • If instead mortality under-ascertainment is at the upper end of our range (5%), then we estimate a smaller first wave. This means that fewer people will be immune and hence we would project a larger second wave.
  • In the absence of implementing new suppressive measures, continued shielding of high-risk individuals is important to help reduce mortality during the second wave. 
  • Historic mortality investigations are needed to help confirm the level of mortality missed and to inform the trajectory of the second wave and how long shielding should be maintained. 

Translations

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