SAPRIN COVID-19 Individual and Household Observations 2023 Datasets

The South African Population Research Infrastructure Network (SAPRIN) currently represents a network of three Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) nodes located in rural South Africa, namely: 1) MRC/Wits University Agincourt HDSS in Bushbuckridge District, Mpumalanga, which has collected data since 1993. The nodal website is: http://www.agincourt.co.za; 2) the University of Limpopo DIMAMO HDSS in the Capricorn District of Limpopo, which has collected data since 1996.The nodal website is: N/A; 3) and the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI) HDSS in uMkhanyakude District, KwaZulu-Natal, which has collected data since 2000.The nodal website is: http://www.ahri.org.

The Agincourt HDSS covers a surveillance area of approximately 420 square kilometres and is located in the Bushbuckridge District, Mpumalanga in the rural northeast of South Africa close to the Mozambique border. At baseline in 1992, 57 600 people were recorded in 8900 households in 20 villages; by 2006, the population had increased to about 70 000 people in 11 700 households. As of 1st July 2022, there were 106 394 people under surveillance of whom 25% were not resident within the surveillance area, with a total of about 2.6 m person years of observation. 31% of the population is under 15 years old. The population is almost exclusively Xitsonga speaking. The Agincourt HDSS has population density of over 200 persons per square kilometre. The Agincourt HDSS extends between latitudes 24° 50´ and 24° 56´S and longitudes 31°08´ and 31°´ 25´ E. The altitude is about 400-600m above sea level.

DIMAMO is located in the Capricorn district, Limpopo Province approximately 40 kilometres from Polokwane, the capital city of Limpopo Province and 15-50 kilometres from the University of Limpopo. The site covers an area of approximately 400 square kilometres . The initial total population observed was about 8 000 but the field site was expanded in 2010. As of 1st July 2022, there were 99 087 people under surveillance, of whom 23% were not resident within the surveillance area, with about 865,000 person years of observation. 29% of the population is under 15 years old. The population is predominantly Sepedi speaking. Most households have electricity. Some households have piped water either inside the house or in their yards, but most fetch water from taps situated at strategic points in the villages. Most households have a pit latrine in their yards. The area lies between latitudes and 23°65´ and 23°90´S and longitudes 29°65´ and 29°85´E. The HDSS is located on a high plateau area (approximately 1250 m above sea level) where communities typically consist of households clustered in villages, with access to local land for small-scale food production.

Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI) is situated in the south-east portion of the Umkhanyakude district of KwaZulu-Natal province near the town of Mtubatuba. It is bounded on the west by the Umfolozi-Hluhluwe nature reserve, on the south by the Umfolozi river, on the east by the N2 highway (except form portions where the Kwamsane township stradles the highway) and in the north by the Inyalazi river for portions of the boundary.The surveillance area is approximately 850 square kilometres. As of 1st July 2022, there were 154 815 people under surveillance of whom 32% were not resident within the surveillance area, with about 2.5 m person years of observation. 30 % of the population is under 15 years old. The population is almost exclusively isiZulu speaking. The surveillance area is typical of many rural areas of South Africa in that while predominantly rural, it contains an urban township and informal peri-urban settlements. The area is characterized by large variations in population densities (20-3000 people per square kilometre). The area lies between latitudes -28°24' and 28°20'N and longitudes 32°10' and 31°58'E