ABSTRACT
COVID-19 pandemic potentially impacted the mental health of migrants. Our objective was to measure the prevalence of psychological distress among a group of sub-Saharan African migrants living in Tunisia, and its association with knowledge about COVID-19. The Questionnaire of Knowledge towards COVID-19 (QK-COVID-19) was used to evaluate the level of Knowledge about COVID-19. The participants were asked about their attitudes for seeking information and healthcare services related to the pandemic using a multiple-choice questionnaire. The Hopkins Symptoms Checklist (HSCL-25)) was used to screen for anxiety and depression. A logistic regression was used to estimate the adjusted odds of having psychological distress across levels of QK-COVID-19 score. Among the 133 participants, 34.6% (95% CI: 26.5, 42.67) had psychological distress, 91% were unemployed and 96% uninsured. Of the respondants, 20% had low QK-COVID-19 score , and 44.36% had medium score. The adjusted odds of psychological distress for those with high and medium QK-COVID-19 scores were respectively 3.9 (95% CI: 1.08, 14.13) and 6.39 (95% CI: 1.79, 22.9) times that of those with low scores. Screening and early treatment of anxiety and depression among migrants during outbreaks is an imperative. Further investigations of the determinants of mental health of sub-Saharan African migrants are needed.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Subgroups of precarious populations such as homeless people are more exposed to infection and at higher risk of developing severe forms of COVID-19 compared to the general population. Many of the recommended prevention measures, such as social distancing and self-isolation, are not feasible for a population living in shelters characterised by physical proximity and a high population density. The objective of the study was to describe SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence in homeless shelters in Brussels (Belgium), and to identify risk factors and infection control practices associated with SARS-CoV-2 positivity rates. METHODS: A total of 1994 adults were tested by quantitative PCR tests in 52 shelters in Brussels (Belgium) between April and June, 2020, in collaboration with Doctors of the World. SARS-CoV-2 prevalence is here described site by site, and we identify risk factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 positivity rates. We also investigate associations between seropositivity and reported symptoms. RESULTS: We found an overall prevalence of 4.6% for the period, and a cluster of high rates of SARS-CoV-2 positivity (20-30% in two shelters). Among homeless people, being under 40 years of age (OR (CI95%) 2.3 (1.2-4.4), p = 0.02), having access to urgent medical care (AMU) (OR(CI95%): 2.4 (1.4-4.4)], p = 0.02), and sharing a room with someone who tested positive (OR(CI95%): 5.3 (2.9-9.9), p<0.0001) were factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 positivity rates. 93% of those who tested positive were asymptomatic. CONCLUSION: This study shows high rates of SARS-COV-2 infection positive tests in some shelters, with a high proportion of asymptomatic cases. The survey reveals how important testing and isolation measures are, together with actions taken by medical and social workers during the outbreak.
