By David Kipkorir
The malaria endemic counties of Busia, Kisumu and Siaya have been enrolled in a research study to understand how the disease treatment affects Covid-19 severity. Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine lead expert Dr Brian Tangara revealed recently in Kisumu that the MalCOV study is being carried out in Kenya and Burkina Faso and it will run for 18 months.
The research according to Dr Tangara will look at malaria as a risk factor to Covid-19. The three counties from the western region have high prevalence of malaria making Covid-19 severe. He said over 700 newly diagnosed Covid-19 patients will be enrolled in Kenya and Burkina Faso.
The COVID-19 cohort study will consist of approximately 708 newly diagnosed COVID-19 patient of all ages. They will be enrolled from a source population of approximately 4,720 individuals of all ages screened for SARS-CoV-2. Dr Tangara said it is anticipated that approximately 142 of the 708 cohort participants will be co-infected with malaria except pregnant women.
The co-infected participants will be enrolled in the nested malaria treatment trial if they have uncomplicated malaria and are able to take oral medication. They will be randomized to receive either a standard 3-day treatment course of artemetherlumefantrine (the current first-line treatment) or pyronaridine-artesunate, a new highly effective antimalarial combination that is being rolled out as first or second-line treatment in western Kenya and Burkina Faso.
All 142 patients will be followed for 42 days and nasal swabs and blood samples taken on days 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28. Malaria smears will be taken on days 3, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 42. The primary endpoint is the rate of SARS-CoV-2 clearance by day-7. Dr Tangara said to limit the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, strict adherence to infection prevention and control (IPC) guidelines, including use of personal protection equipment (PPE), and measures for patient transport will be followed as per national guidelines in each country.
Written informed consent/assent will be sought. The 18-months study is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and is part of a collaboration between KEMRI; the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM); the Ministry of Health, Kenya; the Groupe de Recherche Action en Santé (GRAS), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; the Ministry of Health in Burkina Faso, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). LSTM and LSHTM will act as sponsors for the studies in Kenya and Burkina Faso, respectively.
