Evaluation of malaria cases among the outpatient visits to Ekiti State University Health Centre Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria: Pre- and Post-COVID incidence

Abstract

The occurrence of COVID-19 pandemic that broke into the world in early 2020 was envisaged to affect existing diseases. This study evaluated the extent to which COVID-19 pandemic has affected malaria cases among the staff and students of Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. Clinical data involving malaria cases of outpatient visits to EKSU Health Centre during 2019 and 2021 were collected from the Record Department of the Health Centre for statistical analysis. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 20 with probability value of < 0.05 as significant. Results showed that 1,246 people visited EKSU Health Centre as outpatients in 2019 and 1,243 in 2021. Only 642 (51.5%) had malaria in 2019 while 604 (48.6%) had malaria in 2021 with no significant difference (P= 0.143) in both years. The highest malaria cases was observed in April (57.7%) in 2019 and December (55.6%) in 2021. There was no significant difference in the malaria cases across the different months of both years. Malaria cases was higher in males than females in both years but without significant difference (P= 0.429). COVID-19 appears not to have effect on malaria cases in Ekiti State University Community Ado-Ekiti and possibly in other Nigerian universities.