COVID-19 Screening among International Travelers in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in 2019 rapidly escalated into a global health emergency and pandemic. The spread of the virus, affecting millions, was largely facilitated by the ease of international travel. To balance public health measures with essential cross-border mobility between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and other countries, a traveler surveillance program was implemented. This study aimed to review the first six months of COVID-19 pandemic surveillance by screening international travelers in Kinshasa. A multicentric cross-sectional study was conducted between August 2020 and February 2021 across six COVID-19 screening sites affiliated with the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB). Data collected included sociodemographic characteristics, travel history, RT-PCR test results, and viral sequencing information. Among the 190,809 travelers included in the study, 4.7% tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Most positive cases were between the ages of 21 and 60. Outbound travelers exhibited a higher positivity rate (6.1%). The predominant variant detected was 20E (EU1). Multivariate analysis identified age ˃ 80, female gender, and outbound travel as factors significantly associated with increased infection risk. These findings underscore the critical role of targeted traveler surveillance in mitigating the international spread of imported and exported infectious diseases.