Factors associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection in Hohoe Municipality, Ghana: A case-control study

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection was a major public health challenge globally and in Ghana. To prepare better for future pandemics, an evidence-based understanding of the determinants of coronavirus disease is essential to inform public health guidelines and surveillance. Thus, we identified the factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection in Hohoe Municipality. We conducted a facility-based, sex and age-matched (1:2) case-control study. Cases were persons with a laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection by Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) or rapid antigen test, while controls tested negative with the same techniques. Data on sociodemographic, clinical, and exposure-related factors were collected through structured interviews. We employed a conditional regression model to establish the factors independently associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection using Stata version 17.0. All statistical tests were two-sided, and a p-value