Household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in a well-characterized Kenyan cohort

Although critically important for determining optimal strategies to reduce transmission and limit the impact of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), factors such as the frequency of household transmission, the proportion of asymptomatic infection, and the natural history of the infection are poorly understood. These knowledge gaps are even greater in low-resource countries, such as Kenya, where population age, household size, living conditions, nutrition, prior infections, and other factors may have significant effects on social policies and public health interventions.

This project will address these gaps and provide evidence to inform decisions by undertaking a household transmission study in an African community to examine the determinants of transmission, including the role of children and the viral load of exposures. It will provide several pieces of relevant information for COVID-19 vaccine development efforts.

The project was selected for funding through the COVID-19 May 2020 Rapid Research Funding Opportunity, coordinated by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research in partnership with IDRC and several other health research funding agencies across Canada.