The Grand Magal of Touba was spared by the COVID-19 pandemic

Cheikh Sokhna (1) , Ndiaw Goumballa (1) , van Thuan Hoang (1) , Hubert Bassene (1) , Philippe Parola (1) , Philippe Gautret (1)

1 VITROME - Vecteurs - Infections tropicales et méditerranéennes

In the context of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, all mass gathering (MG) events have been cancelled. The Grand Magal took place on October 6, 2020, in Touba, Senegal, which was the only MG event organized in 2020. This Muslim pilgrimage gathers about four million Muslim Mourides from Senegal and beyond. No significant increase in COVID-19 cases was therefore observed at the national level in the weeks following the Grand Magal. This successful strategy is an invitation to better promote community commitments by public authorities in their various strategies.

Domains: Bacteriology; Virology; Parasitology; Cardiology and cardiovascular system; Emerging diseases; Infectious diseases

Cheikh Sokhna, Ndiaw Goumballa, van Thuan Hoang, Hubert Bassene, Philippe Parola, et al.. The Grand Magal of Touba was spared by the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2021, 105, pp.470-471. ⟨10.1016/j.ijid.2021.01.006⟩. ⟨hal-03304515⟩