Demographics and outcomes of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases during the first epidemic wave in Senegal

•During the first epidemic wave in Senegal, COVID-19 cases were young with limited comorbidities and were mostly asymptomatic.•Among cases with a non-severe form of COVID-19, time to discharge (two negative RT-PCR tests) was longer in asymptomatic patients than symptomatic patients.•Case fatality was low, occurring predominantly in older and male patients. Few studies have focused on the effects of COVID-19 on African populations. During the first epidemic wave in Senegal (May 1 to July 31, 2020), COVID-19 cases were isolated in treatment centers of epidemics (TCEs). We described the demographics and outcomes of COVID-19 cases in TCEs. All cases with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in Thiès medical region of Senegal were included. COVID-19 was confirmed in 600 cases. Median age of cases (men: 357, 59.5%; women: 243, 40.5%) was 34.0years. The incidence was 12 per 100,000 inhabitants per month. Overall, 46 (7.7%) cases had a severe or critical form of the disease, and nine of them died. Of 455 cases quarantined in non-hospital TCEs, 340 (74.7%) had no symptom and 115 (25.3%) had mild or moderate symptoms. In this African retrospective cohort, COVID-19 cases were young and mostly asymptomatic with a low case fatality rate.