Newly arrived migrants did not represent an additional COVID-19 burden for Italy: data from the italian information flow.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, migrants arriving in host countries irregularly have not infrequently been perceived as increasing the COVID-19 burden. Italy is a transit and destination country for migrants who cross the Central Mediterranean route and, during the pandemic, all migrants who landed on Italian shores were COVID-19 tested and quarantined. Our study aimed to investigate the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 infection among migrants who landed on the Italian coasts by analyzing both incidence and health outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective observational study has been designed. The population of interest was represented by 70,512 migrants (91% male, 99% <60 years old) who landed in Italy between January 2021 and 2022. SARS-CoV-2 incidence rate per 1,000 (with 95%CI) in migrants and the resident population in Italy of the corresponding age group was computed. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) was used to compare the incidence rates in migrants and the resident population. RESULTS: 2,861 migrants out of those landed in Italy during the observation period tested positive, with an incidence rate of 40.6 (39.1-42.1) cases per 1,000. During the same period, 177.6 (177.5-177.8) cases per 1,000 were reported in the resident population, with an IRR of 0.23 (0.22-0.24). 89.7% of cases were male and 54.6% belonged to the 20-29 age group. 99% of cases reported no symptoms, no relevant comorbidities were reported and no cases were hospitalized. CONCLUSIONS: Our study found a low rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection in migrants reaching Italy by sea with an incidence rate that is roughly a quarter of that of the resident population. Thus, irregular migrants who arrived in Italy during the observation period did not increase the COVID-19 burden. Further studies are needed to investigate possible reasons for the low incidence observed in this population.

Crosslinked Chitosan Nanoparticles with Muco-Adhesive Potential for Intranasal Delivery Applications.

Intranasal drug delivery is convenient and provides a high bioavailability but requires the use of mucoadhesive nanocarriers. Chitosan is a well-established polymer for mucoadhesive applications but can suffer from poor cytocompatibility and stability upon administration. In this work, we present a method to obtain stable and cytocompatible crosslinked chitosan nanoparticles. We used 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid as a biocompatible crosslinker and compared the obtained particles with those prepared by ionotropic gelation using sodium tripolyphosphate. Nanoparticles were tested to evaluate the size and the surface charge, as well as their stability in storage conditions (4 °C), at the nasal cavity temperature (32 °C), and at the body temperature (37 °C). The crosslinked chitosan nanoparticles showed a size around 150 nm and a surface charge of 10.3 mV ± 0.9 mV, both compatible with the intranasal drug administration. Size and surface charge parameters did not significantly vary over time, indicating the good stability of these nanoparticles. We finally tested their cytocompatibility in vitro using SHSY5Y human neuroblastoma and RPMI 2650 human nasal epithelial cells, with positive results. In conclusion, the proposed synthetic system shows an interesting potential as a drug carrier for intranasal delivery.

COVID-19 Impact in the Italian Reception System for Migrants during the Nationwide Lockdown: A National Observational Study.

From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, attention was raised to protect vulnerable populations, including migrants and refugees (M&R), with the claim to leave no one behind in the pandemic response. In particular, concern was expressed in M&R's reception centres since several COVID-19 outbreaks had been observed in Europe. Our study aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 in the Italian reception system in the first pandemic wave in terms of incidence and health outcomes. A national survey focusing on the lockdown period of early 2020 was performed among reception centre managers. The survey achieved reaching around 70% of reception facilities and hosts. A national cumulative incidence of 400 positive cases per 100,000 and a north-south geographical gradient were observed. Sixty-eight facilities out of the 5038 participating in the survey reported confirmed cases and few COVID-19 clusters were detected especially in accommodations with the highest facility saturation index. Positive migrants were hospitalised in 25.9% of cases and no COVID-19 related deaths were observed. The study highlighted a cumulative incidence of cases and a geographical distribution similar to that of the general resident population, showing a global COVID-19 resilience in the Italian reception system in the period of observation, well beyond the expectations.

Health care for immigrant women in Italy: are we really ready? A survey on knowledge about female genital mutilation.

BACKGROUND: Because of immigration, female genital mutilation (FGM) is an issue of increasing concern in western countries. Nevertheless operators without a specific training may ignore the health condition of women subjected to this practice and fail to provide them adequate assistance. The purpose of the study was to estimate the current knowledge about FGM among social and health care assistants working with asylum seeker. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From October to December 2012, a questionnaire was used to interview 41 operators working in CARA (Shelter for Refugees and Asylum Seekers) in central and southern Italy. RESULTS: Only 7.3% of respondents states to know well FGM, while 4.9% do not know it at all. 70.7% declare to have never met or assisted a woman with FGM, nevertheless all respondents work with asylum seeker from countries where FGM are performed. CONCLUSIONS: Migration fluxes to Italy over the past decade created a healthcare challenge: women with FGM have specific medical and psychological problems that doctors, nurses and social assistants without specific training are not usually able to manage.