scholarly journals Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Refugees, Migrants and Asylum Seekers Living in Camps and Reception and Identification Centers in Greece in the Pre-Vaccination Period, February 2020 to May 2021. Summary of Epidemiological Findings

Author(s):  
Spiros Sapounas ◽  
Konstantinos Mitrou ◽  
Alexandros Georgios Asimakopoulos ◽  
Garyfallia Antoniou ◽  
Ioanna Papari ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Protection of refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers living in open hosting camps (HCs) and reception and identification centers (RICs) has been a priority since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. We present the epidemiological data of COVID-19 infection in HCs/RICs in Greece from February 2020 to May 2021, before the initiation of the onsite vaccinations.Methods: Case confirmation was performed by rapid antigenic test and/or RT-PCR. Data were retrieved from the National COVID-19 registry. The notification rate by type of accommodation facility, by sex and ethnicity and the mean age of cases, were calculated for HCs, RICs and general population. Data on clinical manifestations, and disease severity (admissions to intensive care unit (ICU) / case fatality rate) were analysed.Results: Of the 397,497 recorded domestic COVID-19 infection cases, 2,609 (0.7%) regarded HCs/RICs; of them 1,566 (60%) were identified in 27 HCs and 1,043 (40%) in six RICs. The notification rate was 542 and 380 cases per 10,000 population in HCs/RICs and the general population, respectively (p-value<0.001).Up to February 2021 the occurrence of cases in HCs/RICs did not follow the occurrence of cases in the general population. After March 2021 the course of the outbreak in HCs/RICs and the general population was similar.The median age of cases in HCs/RICs and the general population was 27 (range:0-81) and 44 (range:0-106), respectively (p<0.001). Twenty-four different ethnicities were reported among migrant cases; 51% were from Afghanistan, 13% from Syria, 6% from Kongo and 5% from Somalia.Overall, 48% and 80% of cases, respectively in HCs/RICs and the general population were symptomatic (p<0.001). Five (0.2%) cases in HCs/RICs were admitted to the ICU compared to 10,426 cases (3.0%) in the general population (p-value <0.001). Case fatality rate was 3% in the general population and 0.08% in HCs/RICs (p-value <0.001).Conclusion: Recorded COVID-19 infections were less severe in migrants living at HCs/RICs than the general population, however, the number of identified cases was high and measures for the prevention of transmission should be strengthened.

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 2630
Author(s):  
Chunguang Liang ◽  
Elena Bencurova ◽  
Eric Psota ◽  
Priya Neurgaonkar ◽  
Martina Prelog ◽  
...  

We observed substantial differences in predicted Major Histocompatibility Complex II (MHCII) epitope presentation of SARS-CoV-2 proteins for different populations but only minor differences in predicted MHCI epitope presentation. A comparison of this predicted epitope MHC-coverage revealed for the early phase of infection spread (till day 15 after reaching 128 observed infection cases) highly significant negative correlations with the case fatality rate. Specifically, this was observed in different populations for MHC class II presentation of the viral spike protein (p-value: 0.0733 for linear regression), the envelope protein (p-value: 0.023), and the membrane protein (p-value: 0.00053), indicating that the high case fatality rates of COVID-19 observed in some countries seem to be related with poor MHC class II presentation and hence weak adaptive immune response against these viral envelope proteins. Our results highlight the general importance of the SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins in immunological control in early infection spread looking at a global census in various countries and taking case fatality rate into account. Other factors such as health system and control measures become more important after the early spread. Our study should encourage further studies on MHCII alleles as potential risk factors in COVID-19 including assessment of local populations and specific allele distributions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyagita Widya Sari ◽  
Retno Putri

Demam Berdarah Dengue (DBD) adalah penyakit menular yangdisebabkan oleh virus Dengue dan ditularkan melalui gigitan nyamukAedes aegypti. Dinas Kesehatan Provinsi Riau melaporkan jumlah kasusDBD sebanyak 277 dan Case Fatality Rate (CFR) DBD sebesar 1,4% padatahun 2016, di mana kasus terbanyak berasal dari Kota Pekanbaru yaitu58 kasus dengan CFR sebesar 0%. Adapun, CFR DBD di wilayah kerjaPuskesmas Payung Sekaki meningkat dari 0% pada tahun 2015 menjadi0,7% pada tahun 2016. DBD merupakan penyakit berbasis lingkunganyang dapat dicegah dengan melakukan tindakan pengendalian vektor,antara lain dengan pemberantasan sarang nyamuk (PSN) dan tindakanpencegahan lainnya. Akan tetapi, partisipasi aktif masyarakat dalam PSNmasih rendah dan kurang. Tujuan penelitian adalah untuk mengetahuihubungan PSN 3M Plus dengan kejadian DBD di wilayah kerja PuskesmasPayung Sekaki Kota Pekanbaru tahun 2017. Penelitian ini dilakukan padabulan Agustus tahun 2017. Desain studi penelitian ini adalah observasionaldengan pendekatan kasus kontrol. Jumlah sampel kasus dipilih denganteknik total sampling yaitu 40 kasus, sedangkan sampel kontrol dipilihdengan teknik purposive sampling yaitu 80 kontrol. Analisis datamenggunakan uji regresi logistik ganda. Hasil analisis multivariatmenunjukkan bahwa kebiasaan menggunakan obat nyamuk palingdominan menjelaskan perubahan variabel kejadian DBD (p-value = 0,092;OR = 2,76; 95% CI = 0,85-8,87). Variabel praktik M1 (menguras TPA),keberadaan kawat kassa nyamuk dalam ventilasi rumah, kebiasaanmenggantung pakaian, dan kebiasaan menggunakan obat nyamukberhubungan dan merupakan faktor risiko kejadian DBD di wilayah kerjaPuskesmas Payung Sekaki Kota Pekanbaru


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (13) ◽  
pp. 5228
Author(s):  
Julio Emilio Marco-Franco ◽  
Natividad Guadalajara-Olmeda ◽  
Silvia González-de Julián ◽  
David Vivas-Consuelo

Using a mathematical model for COVID-19 incorporating data on excess of mortality compared to the corresponding period of the previous year obtained from the daily monitoring of mortality in Spain (MoMo), the prediction of total number of casualties in Spain for the first outbreak has been computed. From this figure, and following a stepwise meta-analysis of available reports, the case fatality rate (CFR) and the infectious case fatality rate (IFR) for the outbreak have been estimated. As the impact of age on these rates is notable, it is proposed to include an age-related adjusted fatality ratio in future comparative analyses between studies, calculated by adjusting the results by risk ratio to a reference age band (e.g., 60–69). From the casualty figures, and the corresponding CFR and IFR ratios, the forecast of serologically positive cases in the general Spanish population has been estimated at approximately 1% (0.87–1.3%) of the samples. If the data are confirmed by the ongoing study of the Carlos III Institute, until a vaccine is found, the immunity acquired in the general population after the infectious outbreak is far from the 65–70% herd immunity required as a barrier for COVID-19.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subrat Acharya ◽  
Gaurav Mahindra ◽  
Purushottam Nirala ◽  
Sulabh Tripathi ◽  
Bishnu Panigrahi ◽  
...  

Abstract During COVID-19 pandemic, Healthcare Workers (HCWs) were at increased risk for exposure to SARS-CoV-2 virus and prioritized for early administration of COVID-19 vaccines in India. Real-life scenario information among vaccinated HCWs acquiring COVID-19 infection, is scarce. We retrospectively analyzed COVID-19 infection frequency, severity, and associated mortality among healthcare workers, immunized with either Covishield or Covaxin vaccines at 27 Fortis Hospitals across 11 Indian states. Positive cases were identified based on RT-PCR or rapid antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2 between 16th January 2021 till 15th May 2021. 20034 HCWs received vaccination. 3971 received 1 dose, 16063 received 2 doses. Post-vaccination, 1139 HCWs acquired COVID-19 infection, 180 (4.53%) and 959 (5.97%) among partially and fully vaccinated category, respectively. Breakthrough infection occurred among 913 (5.68%) HCWs. Concurrently, Case Positivity Rate was 11.9%, among general population (control). Among 1139 positive cases, mild, moderate, and severe infections were 1059 (93%), 71 (6.2%) and 9 (0.8%), respectively with Case Fatality Rate of 0.18%, compared to 0.92% among general population (p=0.0043). The Case Fatality Rate in vaccinated HCWs was found to be 80% less than that in general population (control). Hence, COVID-19 vaccines available in India seem to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 virus.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shivam Gupta ◽  
Kamalesh Kumar Patel ◽  
Shobana Sivaraman ◽  
Abha Mangal

As the COVID-19 pandemic marches exponentially, epidemiological data is of high importance to analyse the current situation and guide intervention strategies. This study analyses the epidemiological data of COVID-19 from 17 countries, representing 85 per cent of the total cases within first 90 days of lockdown in Wuhan, China. It follows a population-level observational study design and includes countries with 20,000 cases (or higher) as of 21 April 2020. We sourced the data for these 17 countries from worldometers. info, a digital platform being used by several media and reputed academic institutions worldwide. We calculated the prevalence, incidence, case fatality rate and trends in the epidemiology of COVID-19, and its correlation with population density, urbanisation and elderly population. The analysis represents 85 per cent ( N = 2,183,661) of all cases within the first 90 days of the pandemic. Across the analysed period, the burden of the pandemic primarily focused on high- and middle-income countries of Asia, Europe and North America. While the total number of cases and deaths are highest in USA, the prevalence, incidence and case fatality rates are higher in the European countries. The prevalence and incidence vary widely among countries included in the analysis, and the number of cases per million and the case fatality rate are correlated with the proportion of the elderly population and to a lesser extent with the proportion of the urban population.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Clement Ameh Yaro ◽  
Ezekiel Kogi ◽  
Kenneth Nnamdi Opara ◽  
Gaber El-Saber Batiha ◽  
Roua S. Baty ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Lassa fever (LF) is a zoonotic infectious disease of public concern in Nigeria. The infection dynamics of the disease is not well elucidated in Nigeria. This study was carried out to describe the pattern of infection, case fatality rate and spread of lassa virus (LASV) from 2017 to 2020. Methods Weekly epidemiological data on LF from December, 2016 to September, 2020 were obtained from Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. The number of confirmed cases and deaths were computed according to months and states. Descriptive statistics was performed and case fatality rate was calculated. Distribution and spread maps of LF over the four years period was performed on ArcMap 10.7. Results A total of 2787 confirmed cases and 516 deaths were reported in Nigeria from December, 2016 to September, 2020. Increase in number of cases and deaths were observed with 298, 528, 796 and 1165 confirmed cases and 79, 125, 158 and 158 deaths in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 respectively. Over 60% of the cases were reported in two states, Edo and Ondo states. The LF cases spread from 19 states in 2017 to 32 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in 2020. Ondo state (25.39%) had the highest of deaths rate from LF over the four years. Case fatality rate (CFR) of LF was highest in 2017 (26.5%) with CFR of 23.7, 19.6 and 13.4% in 2018, 2019 and 2020 respectively. The peak of infection was in the month of February for the four years. Infections increases at the onset of dry season in November and decline till April when the wet season sets-in. Conclusion There is an annual increase in the number of LASV infection across the states in Nigeria. There is need to heighten control strategies through the use of integrated approach, ranging from vector control, health education and early diagnosis.


Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1228
Author(s):  
Maria Conceição N. Costa ◽  
Luciana Lobato Cardim ◽  
Maria Gloria Teixeira ◽  
Mauricio L. Barreto ◽  
Rita de Cassia Oliveira de Carvalho-Sauer ◽  
...  

Background: The clinical manifestations of microcephaly/congenital Zika syndrome (microcephaly/CZS) have harmful consequences on the child’s health, increasing vulnerability to childhood morbidity and mortality. This study analyzes the case fatality rate and child–maternal characteristics of cases and deaths related to microcephaly/CZS in Brazil, 2015–2017. Methods: Population-based study developed by linkage of three information systems. We estimate frequencies of cases, deaths, case fatality rate related to microcephaly/CZS according to child and maternal characteristics and causes of death. Multivariate logistic regression models were applied. Results: The microcephaly/CZS case fatality rate was 10% (95% CI 9.2–10.7). Death related to microcephaly/CZS was associated to moderate (OR = 2.15; 95% CI 1.63–2.83), and very low birth weight (OR = 3.77; 95% CI 2.20–6.46); late preterm births (OR = 1.65; 95% CI 1.21–2.23), Apgar < 7 at 1st (OR = 5.98; 95% CI 4.46–8.02) and 5th minutes (OR = 4.13; 95% CI 2.78–6.13), among others. Conclusions: A high microcephaly/CZS case fatality rate and important factors associated with deaths related to this syndrome were observed. These results can alert health teams to these problems and increase awareness about the factors that may be associated with worse outcomes.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subrat Acharya ◽  
Gaurav Mahindra

Abstract During COVID-19 pandemic, Healthcare Workers (HCWs) were at increased risk for exposure to SARS-CoV-2 virus and prioritized for early administration of COVID-19 vaccines in India. Real-life scenario information among vaccinated HCWs acquiring COVID-19 infection, is scarce. We retrospectively analyzed COVID-19 infection frequency, severity, and associated mortality among healthcare workers, immunized with either Covishield or Covaxin vaccines at 27 Fortis Hospitals across 11 Indian states. Positive cases were identified based on RT-PCR or rapid antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2 between 16th January 2021 till 15th May 2021. 20034 HCWs received vaccination. 3971 received 1 dose, 16063 received 2 doses. Post-vaccination, 1139 HCWs acquired COVID-19 infection, 180 (4.53%) and 959 (5.97%) among partially and fully vaccinated category, respectively. Breakthrough infection occurred among 913 (5.68%) HCWs. Concurrently, Case Positivity Rate was 11.9%, among general population (control). Among 1139 positive cases, mild, moderate, and severe infections were 1059 (93%), 71 (6.2%) and 9 (0.8%), respectively with Case Fatality Rate of 0.18%, compared to 0.92% among general population (p=0.0043). The Case Fatality Rate in vaccinated HCWs was found to be 80% less than that in general population (control). Hence, COVID-19 vaccines available in India seem to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 virus.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tareef Fadhil Raham

Background: During the current Covid-19 pandemic case fatality rate (CFR) estimates were subjected to a lot of debates regarding the accuracy of its estimations, predictions, and the reason of across countries variances. In this context, we conduct this study to see the relationship between attack rate (AR) and CFR. The study hypothesis is based on two: 1- evidence suggests that the mortality rate (MR) has a positive influence on case fatality ratio (CFR), 2- and increase number of Covid-19 cases leads to increased mortality rate (MR). Material and methods: Thirty countries and territories were chosen. Inclusion criterion was > 500 Covid-19 reported cases per 10,000 population inhabitants. Data on covid-19 cases and deaths was selected as it was on March 10, 2021. Statistical methods used are descriptive and one-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S), the one-way ANOVA, Levene, least significant different (LSD), and matched paired-samples T-tests. Results: ANOVA test showed a significant difference at P<0.01 among all studied groups concerning AR and CFR mean values. Group of countries with MR ≥ 15 death / 104 inhabitants recorded the highest level of crude mean CFR and AR values, and recorded the highest gap with leftover groups, especially with countries reported MR of <10 death/ 104 inhabitants. There were independence 95% confidence intervals of mean CFR and AR values between countries with ≥ 15 death / 104 MR and countries with MR of <10 death /104. There was a significant difference between countries with MR ≥ 15 death / 104 inhabitants and countries with MR of <10 death / 10 4 inhabitants groups through least significant difference (LSD) test for CFR%( 0.042 p-values) and Games Howell (GH) test for AR/104 (p-value 0.000). Conclusions: CFR has a positive significant association with AR.


Blood ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 136 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 7-8
Author(s):  
Lana Mucalo ◽  
Amanda M. Brandow ◽  
Sadie F. Mason ◽  
Ashima Singh ◽  
Bradley W. Taylor ◽  
...  

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited hemoglobinopathy that can affect nearly every organ system. Individuals living with SCD are at high risk of developing serious infections which can further trigger disease related complications and attribute additional morbidity and mortality. In light of the evolving pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19 disease, and the potential for future infectious disease epidemics, it is important to understand the impact that COVID-19 has on hospitalization rates and mortality in this medically vulnerable population. The objective of this study was to describe hospitalization and case fatality rates secondary to COVID-19 among individuals living with SCD in different age groups and compare these to the general population. The Medical College of Wisconsin established the international SECURE-SCD Registry to collect data on pediatric and adult COVID-19 infections in individuals living with SCD. Providers are instructed to report confirmed COVID-19 cases to the registry after sufficient time has passed to observe the disease course through resolution of acute illness and/or death. For each case, providers complete a short form that includes the following data: patient demographics, COVID-19 related hospitalization, COVID-19 severity/management strategies, if the patient died due to COVID, and other information about SCD complications. Data are de-identified and without protected health information to facilitate rapid and increased reporting. We calculated the hospitalization rate and case fatality rate for individuals with SCD by specific age group and contrasted it with the rates publicly available for the general Black population. We utilized data from California Department of Public Health for case fatality rate comparison in Blacks and data from COVID-NET for hospitalization rate comparison. We used indirect age adjustment to calculate standardized mortality ratios using COVID-19 data from California state as the reference population. As of July 17th 2020, 218 cases of COVID-19 in Blacks with SCD in the US were reported to the registry. There was a slight predominance of females (52.8%) and 32.1% of reported cases were patients 18 years and under. There were 15 deaths reported with overall mortality rate of 6.9%. Figure 1 shows the distribution of cases and deaths by age group and gender. Mortality rate in SCD patients was highest in the 50-64 years age group (23.1%) in contrast to mortality rate peaks seen in the general population in patients older than 80 years (Table 1). Young adult SCD patients aged 18-34 years had a case fatality rate of 3.3% and those aged 34-50 years had a rate of 14.9%. California Department of Public Health report case fatality rates for Blacks are less than 1% in both of these comparative age groups. Age-standardized mortality ratio shows that individuals with SCD are 7.7 times more likely to die due to COVID-19 infection compared to the general population. The overall hospitalization rate in individuals with SCD was 72.5% and 18.8% of reported hospitalized cases were children. Among hospitalized adults with SCD, stratification by age showed that 85% were aged 18-49, whereas only 25.7% of people 18-49 years in the general Black population were hospitalized (Table 2). Our findings show that individuals with SCD who have COVID-19 infection have higher rates of death due to COVID-19 than the general Black population. Also, a large proportion of COVID hospitalization for the SCD population occurs among the younger age group. Further analysis is planned to examine effects of underlying comorbidities and prior SCD-associated complications on the severity of COVID-19 in individuals with SCD. Disclosures Mucalo: NIH/NHLBI: Research Funding; NIH/NINDS: Research Funding. Brandow:Greater Milwaukee Foundation: Research Funding; NIH / NHLBI: Research Funding. Panepinto:HRSA: Research Funding; NINDS: Research Funding; NINDS: Research Funding; NHLBI: Research Funding.


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