scholarly journals Antibody prevalence for SARS-CoV-2 in England following first peak of the pandemic: REACT2 study in 100,000 adults

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Ward ◽  
Christina J Atchison ◽  
Matthew Whitaker ◽  
Kylie E. C. Ainslie ◽  
Joshua Elliott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Test Performance ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Population Sample ◽  
Asian Ethnicity ◽  
Disadvantaged Communities ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Large Outbreak ◽  
South Asian Ethnicity ◽  
Home Workers

Background England, UK has experienced a large outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 infection. As in USA and elsewhere, disadvantaged communities have been disproportionately affected. Methods National REal-time Assessment of Community Transmission-2 (REACT-2) seroprevalence study using self-administered lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) test for IgG among a random population sample of 100,000 adults over 18 years in England, 20 June to 13 July 2020. Results Completed questionnaires were available for 109,076 participants, yielding 5,544 IgG positive results and adjusted (for test performance), re-weighted (for sampling) prevalence of 6.0% (95% CI: 5.8, 6.1). Highest prevalence was in London (13.0% [12.3, 13.6]), among people of Black or Asian (mainly South Asian) ethnicity (17.3% [15.8, 19.1] and 11.9% [11.0, 12.8] respectively) and those aged 18-24 years (7.9% [7.3, 8.5]). Care home workers with client-facing roles had adjusted odds ratio of 3.1 (2.5, 3.8) compared with non-essential workers. One third (32.2%, [31.0-33.4]) of antibody positive individuals reported no symptoms. Among symptomatic cases, the majority (78.8%) reported symptoms during the peak of the epidemic in England in March (31.3%) and April (47.5%) 2020. We estimate that 3.36 million (3.21, 3.51) people have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 in England to end June 2020, with an overall infection fatality ratio of 0.90% (0.86, 0.94). Conclusion The pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 infection in England disproportionately affected ethnic minority groups and health and care home workers. The higher risk of infection in these groups may explain, at least in part, their increased risk of hospitalisation and mortality from COVID-19.

scholarly journals ‘It’s possibly made us feel a little more alienated’: How people from ethnic minority communities conceptualise COVID-19 and its influence on engagement with testing

2022 ◽  
pp. 135581962110549
Author(s):  
Tushna Vandrevala ◽  
Lailah Alidu ◽  
Jane Hendy ◽  
Shuja Shafi ◽  
Aftab Ala
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Ethnic Minority Groups ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Asian Ethnicity ◽  
Black African ◽  
South Asian Ethnicity ◽  
The Uk

Objectives The cultural beliefs, practices and experiences of ethnic minority groups, alongside structural inequalities and the political economy play a critical, but overlooked role in health promotion. This study aimed to understand how ethnic minority groups in the United Kingdom conceptualised COVID-19 and how this influenced engagement in testing. Method Black (African and Caribbean) and South Asian (Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi) community members were purposefully recruited from across the UK. Fifty-seven semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed using principles of grounded theory. Results We found that people of Black and South Asian ethnicity conceptualised COVID-19 as a disease that makes them visible to others outside their community and was seen as having more severe risk and suffering worse consequences, resulting in fear, stigmatisation and alienation. Views about COVID-19 were embedded in cultural beliefs, relating to culturally specific ideas around disease, such as ill-health being God’s will. Challenges brought about by the pandemic were conceptualised as one of many struggles, with the saliency of the virus contextualised against life experiences. These themes and others influenced engagement with COVID-19 testing. Testing was less about accessing timely and effective treatment for themselves and more about acting to protect the family and community. Testing symbolised a loss of income, anxiety and isolation, accentuated by issues of mistrust of the system and not being valued, or being treated unfairly. Conclusion Health communications should focus on counterbalancing the mistrust, alienation and stigmatisation that act as barriers to testing, with trust built using local credible sources.

scholarly journals REACT-1 round 9 interim report: downward trend of SARS-CoV-2 in England in February 2021 but still at high prevalence

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Riley ◽  
Caroline E. Walters ◽  
Haowei Wang ◽  
Oliver Eales ◽  
David Haw ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Care Home ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Asian Ethnicity ◽  
North West ◽  
North East ◽  
Transmission Study ◽  
Large Household ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Home Workers

AbstractBackground and MethodsEngland entered its third national lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic on 6th January 2021 with the aim of reducing the daily number of deaths and pressure on healthcare services. The real-time assessment of community transmission study (REACT-1) obtains throat and nose swabs from randomly selected people in England in order to describe patterns of SARS-CoV-2 prevalence. Here, we report data from round 9a of REACT-1 for swabs collected between 4th and 13th February 2021.ResultsOut of 85,473 tested-swabs, 378 were positive. Overall weighted prevalence of infection in the community in England was 0.51%, a fall of more than two thirds since our last report (round 8) in January 2021 when 1.57% of people tested positive. We estimate a halving time of 14.6 days and a reproduction number R of 0.72, based on the difference in prevalence between the end of round 8 and the beginning of round 9. Although prevalence fell in all nine regions of England over the same period, there was greater uncertainty in the trend for North West, North East, and Yorkshire and The Humber. Prevalence fell substantially across all age groups with highest prevalence among 18- to 24-year olds at 0.89% (0.47%, 1.67%) and those aged 5 to12 years at 0.86% (0.60%, 1.24%). Large household size, living in a deprived neighbourhood, and Asian ethnicity were all associated with increased prevalence. Healthcare and care home workers were more likely to test positive compared to other workers.ConclusionsThere is a strong decline in prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in England among the general population five to six weeks into lockdown, but prevalence remains high: at levels similar to those observed in late September 2020. Also, the number of COVID-19 cases in hospitals is higher than at the peak of the first wave in April 2020. The effects of easing of social distancing when we transition out of lockdown need to be closely monitored to avoid a resurgence in infections and renewed pressure on health services.

scholarly journals Transient dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 as England exited national lockdown

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Riley ◽  
Kylie E. C. Ainslie ◽  
Oliver Eales ◽  
Caroline E Walters ◽  
Haowei Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Care Home ◽  
Infection Intensity ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Location Data ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Community Transmission ◽  
Age Patterns ◽  
Asymptomatic Individuals ◽  
Home Workers

Control of the COVID-19 pandemic requires a detailed understanding of prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 virus in the population. Case-based surveillance is necessarily biased towards symptomatic individuals and sensitive to varying patterns of reporting in space and time. The real-time assessment of community transmission antigen study (REACT-1) is designed to overcome these limitations by obtaining prevalence data based on a nose and throat swab RT-PCR test among a representative community-based sample in England, including asymptomatic individuals. Here, we describe results comparing rounds 1 and 2 carried out during May and mid June / early July 2020 respectively across 315 lower tier local authority areas. In round 1 we found 159 positive samples from 120,620 tested swabs while round 2 there were 123 positive samples from 159,199 tested swabs, indicating a downwards trend in prevalence from 0.13% (95% CI, 0.11%, 0.15%) to 0.077% (0.065%, 0.092%), a halving time of 38 (28, 58) days, and an R of 0.89 (0.86, 0.93). The proportion of swab-positive participants who were asymptomatic at the time of sampling increased from 69% (61%, 76%) in round 1 to 81% (73%, 87%) in round 2. Although health care and care home workers were infected far more frequently than other workers in round 1, the odds were markedly reduced in round 2. Age patterns of infection changed between rounds, with a reduction by a factor of five in prevalence in 18 to 24 year olds. Our data were suggestive of increased risk of infection in Black and Asian (mainly South Asian) ethnicities. Using regional and detailed case location data, we detected increased infection intensity in and near London. Under multiple sensitivity analyses, our results were robust to the possibility of false positives. At the end of the initial lockdown in England, we found continued decline in prevalence and a shift in the pattern of infection by age and occupation. Community-based sampling, including asymptomatic individuals, is necessary to fully understand the nature of ongoing transmission.

scholarly journals COVID-19 in patients with hepatobiliary and pancreatic diseases in East London: A single-centre cohort study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abu Z M Dayem Ullah ◽  
Lavanya Sivapalan ◽  
Claude Chelala ◽  
Hemant M Kocher
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Single Centre ◽  
Population Based Study ◽  
Asian Ethnicity ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Incidence And Mortality ◽  
Cohort Study Design ◽  
South Asian Ethnicity ◽  
The Impact

Objective The impact of COVID-19 in patients with pre-existing hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) conditions is not clearly understood. To explore risk factors associated with COVID-19 susceptibility and survival in this patient group, we conducted a single-centre retrospective cohort study. Design We interrogated linked electronic health records for patients diagnosed with HPB diseases in East London since 2008 (n=15 586), and identified 212 confirmed COVID-19 cases between February 12 and June 12, 2020. We conducted risk analyses to identify the effect of demographics, comorbidities and associated medication use, and lifestyle factors and with appropriate adjustment for gender, ethnicity, age group and HPB diagnoses on COVID-19 incidence and mortality. Results We observed an increased risk of COVID-19 for men (Relative Risk, RR=1.59; 95% CI 1.21 to 2.09) and Black ethnicity (RR=2.2; 95% CI 1.5 to 3.18). Substance mis-users were at more risk of infection, so were patients on Vitamin D treatment. The higher risks associated with South Asian ethnicity, patients with pre-existing non-malignant pancreatic or liver conditions, age>70, and past smokers were due to co-existing comorbidities; surprisingly current smokers were associated with a lower risk. Increased mortality risk was observed for Black ethnicity (RR=2.4; 95% CI 1.35 to 3.48), and patients with a pre-existing kidney condition (RR=2.13; 95% CI 1.16 to 3.55) - particularly when accompanied with an acute episode of renal complications (RR=2.74; 95% CI 1.32 to 5.13). Conclusions This large multi-ethnic population-based study of HPB patients shows a higher risk of acquiring COVID-19 for male gender, Black ethnicity, medical co-morbidities, and substance mis-users. Particular attention should be paid to patients with a pre-existing kidney disease for further renal insult to prevent fatality.

scholarly journals Ethnicity and risk of death in patients hospitalised for COVID-19 infection in the UK: an observational cohort study in an urban catchment area

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. e000644 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Sapey ◽  
Suzy Gallier ◽  
Chris Mainey ◽  
Peter Nightingale ◽  
David McNulty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Propensity Score ◽  
Propensity Score Matching ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Cox Regression ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Asian Ethnicity ◽  
Risk Of Death ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
South Asian Ethnicity

BackgroundStudies suggest that certain black and Asian minority ethnic groups experience poorer outcomes from COVID-19, but these studies have not provided insight into potential reasons for this. We hypothesised that outcomes would be poorer for those of South Asian ethnicity hospitalised from a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, once confounding factors, health-seeking behaviours and community demographics were considered, and that this might reflect a more aggressive disease course in these patients.MethodsPatients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection requiring admission to University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) in Birmingham, UK between 10 March 2020 and 17 April 2020 were included. Standardised admission ratio (SAR) and standardised mortality ratio (SMR) were calculated using observed COVID-19 admissions/deaths and 2011 census data. Adjusted HR for mortality was estimated using Cox proportional hazard model adjusting and propensity score matching.ResultsAll patients admitted to UHB with COVID-19 during the study period were included (2217 in total). 58% were male, 69.5% were white and the majority (80.2%) had comorbidities. 18.5% were of South Asian ethnicity, and these patients were more likely to be younger and have no comorbidities, but twice the prevalence of diabetes than white patients. SAR and SMR suggested more admissions and deaths in South Asian patients than would be predicted and they were more likely to present with severe disease despite no delay in presentation since symptom onset. South Asian ethnicity was associated with an increased risk of death, both by Cox regression (HR 1.4, 95% CI 1.2 to 1.8), after adjusting for age, sex, deprivation and comorbidities, and by propensity score matching, matching for the same factors but categorising ethnicity into South Asian or not (HR 1.3, 95% CI 1.0 to 1.6).ConclusionsThose of South Asian ethnicity appear at risk of worse COVID-19 outcomes. Further studies need to establish the underlying mechanistic pathways.

scholarly journals Mandatory covid-19 vaccination for care home workers

BMJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. n1684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lydia Hayes ◽  
Allyson M Pollock
Keyword(s):  
Care Home ◽  
Home Workers

scholarly journals Incremental changes in QRS duration as predictor for cardiovascular disease: a 21-year follow-up of a randomly selected general population

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaojing Chen ◽  
Per-Olof Hansson ◽  
Erik Thunström ◽  
Zacharias Mandalenakis ◽  
Kenneth Caidahl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
General Population ◽  
Cardiovascular Events ◽  
Population Sample ◽  
Cox Regression Analysis ◽  
Major Cardiovascular Events ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Qrs Duration ◽  
Group 1

AbstractThe QRS complex has been shown to be a prognostic marker in coronary artery disease. However, the changes in QRS duration over time, and its predictive value for cardiovascular disease in the general population is poorly studied. So we aimed to explore if increased QRS duration from the age of 50–60 is associated with increased risk of major cardiovascular events during a further follow-up to age 71. A random population sample of 798 men born in 1943 were examined in 1993 at 50 years of age, and re-examined in 2003 at age 60 and 2014 at age 71. Participants who developed cardiovascular disease before the re-examination in 2003 (n = 86) or missing value of QRS duration in 2003 (n = 127) were excluded. ΔQRS was defined as increase in QRS duration from age 50 to 60. Participants were divided into three groups: group 1: ΔQRS < 4 ms, group 2: 4 ms ≤ ΔQRS < 8 ms, group 3: ΔQRS ≥ 8 ms. Endpoints were major cardiovascular events. And we found compared with men in group 1 (ΔQRS < 4 ms), men with ΔQRS ≥ 8 ms had a 56% increased risk of MACE during follow-up to 71 years of age after adjusted for BMI, systolic blood pressure, smoking, hyperlipidemia, diabetes and heart rate in a multivariable Cox regression analysis (HR 1.56, 95% CI:1.07–2.27, P = 0.022). In conclusion, in this longitudinal follow-up over a decade QRS duration increased in almost two out of three men between age 50 and 60 and the increased QRS duration in middle age is an independent predictor of major cardiovascular events.

scholarly journals Ethnic Disparities in the Development of Sight-Threatening Diabetic Retinopathy in a UK Multi-Ethnic Population with Diabetes: An Observational Cohort Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 740
Author(s):  
Manjula D. Nugawela ◽  
Sarega Gurudas ◽  
Andrew Toby Prevost ◽  
Rohini Mathur ◽  
John Robson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Ethnic Differences ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Ethnic Disparities ◽  
Ethnic Minority Groups ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Observational Cohort ◽  
General Practices

There is little data on ethnic differences in incidence of DR and sight threatening DR (STDR) in the United Kingdom. We aimed to determine ethnic differences in the development of DR and STDR and to identify risk factors of DR and STDR in people with incident or prevalent type II diabetes (T2DM). We used electronic primary care medical records of people registered with 134 general practices in East London during the period from January 2007–January 2017. There were 58,216 people with T2DM eligible to be included in the study. Among people with newly diagnosed T2DM, Indian, Pakistani and African ethnic groups showed an increased risk of DR with Africans having highest risk of STDR compared to White ethnic groups (HR: 1.36 95% CI 1.02–1.83). Among those with prevalent T2DM, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Caribbean ethnic groups showed increased risk of DR and STDR with Indian having the highest risk of any DR (HR: 1.24 95% CI 1.16–1.32) and STDR (HR: 1.38 95% CI 1.17–1.63) compared with Whites after adjusting for all covariates considered. It is important to optimise prevention, screening and treatment options in these ethnic minority groups to avoid health inequalities in diabetes eye care.

scholarly journals Hospital admission at the time of a postpartum psychiatric emergency department visit: the influence of the social determinants of health

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy C. Barker ◽  
Susan E. Bronskill ◽  
Hilary K. Brown ◽  
Paul Kurdyak ◽  
Simone N. Vigod
Keyword(s):  
Hospital Admission ◽  
Social Determinants Of Health ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Social Determinants ◽  
Determinants Of Health ◽  
Clinical Severity ◽  
Asian Ethnicity ◽  
Chinese Ethnicity ◽  
South Asian Ethnicity ◽  
Ed Visits

Abstract Aims Social determinants of health have the potential to influence mental health and addictions-related emergency department (ED) visits and the likelihood of admission to hospital. We aimed to determine how social determinants of health, individually and in combination, relate to the likelihood of hospital admission at the time of postpartum psychiatric ED visits. Methods Among 10 702 postpartum individuals (female based on health card) presenting to the ED for a psychiatric reason in Ontario, Canada (2008–2017), we evaluated the relation between six social determinants of health (age, neighbourhood quintile [Q, Q1 = lowest, Q5 = highest], rurality, immigrant category, Chinese or South Asian ethnicity and neighbourhood ethnic diversity) and the likelihood of hospital admission from the ED. Poisson regression models generated relative risks (RR, 95% CI) of admission for each social determinant, crude and adjusted for clinical severity (diagnosis and acuity) and other potential confounders. Generalised estimating equations were used to explore additive interaction to understand whether the likelihood of admission depended on intersections of social determinants of health. Results In total, 16.0% (n = 1715) were admitted to hospital from the ED. Being young (age 19 or less v. 40 or more: RR 0.60, 95% CI 0.45–0.82), rural-dwelling (v. urban-dwelling: RR 0.75, 95% CI 0.62–0.91) and low-income (Q1 v. Q5: RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.66–0.98) were each associated with a lower likelihood of admission. Being an immigrant (non-refugee immigrant v. Canadian-born/long-term resident: RR 1.29, 95% CI 1.06–1.56), of Chinese ethnicity (v. non-Chinese/South Asian ethnicity: RR 1.88, 95% CI 1.42–2.49); and living in the most v. least ethnically diverse neighbourhoods (RR 1.24, 95% CI 1.01–1.53) were associated with a higher likelihood of admission. Only Chinese ethnicity remained significant in the fully-adjusted model (aRR 1.49, 95% CI 1.24–1.80). Additive interactions were non-significant. Conclusions For the most part, whether a postpartum ED visit resulted in admission from the ED depended primarily on the clinical severity of presentation, not on individual or intersecting social determinants of health. Being of Chinese ethnicity did increase the likelihood of admission independent of clinical severity and other measured factors; the reasons for this warrant further exploration.

scholarly journals Ethnicity, household composition and COVID-19 mortality: a national linked data study

2021 ◽  
pp. 014107682199997
Author(s):  
Vahé Nafilyan ◽  
Nazrul Islam ◽  
Daniel Ayoubkhani ◽  
Clare Gilles ◽  
Srinivasa Vittal Katikireddi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Asian ◽  
White Women ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Elderly Women ◽  
Household Composition ◽  
Elderly Men ◽  
Dependent Children ◽  
Registration Data ◽  
Hazard Ratios ◽  
Increased Risk

Objective To estimate the proportion of ethnic inequalities explained by living in a multi-generational household. Design Causal mediation analysis. Setting Retrospective data from the 2011 Census linked to Hospital Episode Statistics (2017-2019) and death registration data (up to 30 November 2020). Participants Adults aged 65 years or over living in private households in England from 2 March 2020 until 30 November 2020 (n=10,078,568). Main outcome measures Hazard ratios were estimated for COVID-19 death for people living in a multi-generational household compared with people living with another older adult, adjusting for geographic factors, socioeconomic characteristics and pre-pandemic health. Results Living in a multi-generational household was associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 death. After adjusting for confounding factors, the hazard ratios for living in a multi-generational household with dependent children were 1.17 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06–1.30) and 1.21 (95% CI 1.06–1.38) for elderly men and women. The hazard ratios for living in a multi-generational household without dependent children were 1.07 (95% CI 1.01–1.13) for elderly men and 1.17 (95% CI 1.07–1.25) for elderly women. Living in a multi-generational household explained about 11% of the elevated risk of COVID-19 death among elderly women from South Asian background, but very little for South Asian men or people in other ethnic minority groups. Conclusion Elderly adults living with younger people are at increased risk of COVID-19 mortality, and this is a contributing factor to the excess risk experienced by older South Asian women compared to White women. Relevant public health interventions should be directed at communities where such multi-generational households are highly prevalent.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document