Dynamics of Viral Rhinitis Incidences in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era Following Adopted Preventive and Control Measures to Coronavirus in Tanzania: A Lesson to Learn

Abstract

Background: Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus belonging to a large family of viruses called coronaviruses, namely severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which emerged in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. The disease has resulted in millions of human deaths worldwide to date. Different countries in the world have implemented various preventive measures against COVID-19, like social distancing, lockdown and mask wearing. These measures, apart from COVID-19, can cross prevent person-to-person transmission of other upper-respiratory conditions, including viral rhinitis (Common cold). This study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 preventive measures in the control of viral rhinitis and its potential consequences.
Methods: The study was conducted at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in Dar es Salaam, involving 384 university students and healthcare workers purposively selected from two Higher Learning Institutions, the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) and St. Joseph University in Tanzania (SJUIT). In addition, two referral hospitals, namely, Mwananyamala Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH) and Temeke Regional Referral Hospital (TRRH) to gather information from healthcare workers. The data was collected using closed and open-ended questionnaires, entered, cleaned and analysed using a IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows version 24.0 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY, USA).
Results: The annual incidences of viral rhinitis during the COVID-19 pandemic were found to be lower than those before the pandemic during which a total of 163 (47.4%) respondents reported to have suffered more than two episodes of viral rhinitis. About 216 (56%) respondents reported having practised social distancing, while 43 (11%) reported not to have adhered to hand hygiene practice while less than one third, 103 (26%) of the respondents reported practising steaming, while 78 (20%) used traditional medicines. None of the preventive measures showed statistically significant relationship with viral rhinitis p<0.05.
Conclusion: While the use of preventive measures against COVID-19 might be unique, and considering their similarity with those of the common cold (viral rhinitis) prevention, the study has shown that if they are observed, particularly the face masks, they may reduce person-to-person transmission of airborne conditions. Therefore, we recommend instituting the use of masks and all hygienic measures in situations where upper respiratory infection of any source is suspected, to limit spread to others from acquiring the infection, particularly in large gatherings.