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Gebreegziabher E, Bui D, Cummings KJ, Frederick M, Nguyen A, Collins C, Melton D, Yang A, Jain S, Vergara X. Demographic changes in COVID-19 mortality during the pandemic: analysis of trends in disparities among workers using California's mortality surveillance system. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:1822. [PMID: 38977988 PMCID: PMC11232202 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-19257-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is limited information on the extent and patterns of disparities in COVID-19 mortality throughout the pandemic. We aimed to examine trends in disparities by demographics over variants in the pre- and post-vaccine availability period among Californian workers using a social determinants of health lens. METHODS Using death certificates, we identified all COVID-19 deaths that occurred between January 2020 and May 2022 among workers aged 18-64 years in California (CA). We derived estimates for at-risk worker populations using the Current Population Survey. The waves of COVID-19 mortality in the pre-vaccine availability period were March 2020-June 2020 (wave 1), and July 2020-November 2020 (wave 2), and in the post-vaccine availability period: December 2020-May 2021 (wave 3), June 2021-January 2022 (wave 4), and February 2022-May 2022 (wave 5). Poisson regression models with robust standard errors were used to determine wave-specific mortality rate ratios (MRRs). We examined the change in MRR across waves by including an interaction term between each demographic characteristic and wave period in different models. The role of potential misclassification of Race/ethnicity on death certificates was examined using probabilistic quantitative bias analysis as sensitivity analysis. RESULTS Among the 24.1 million working age CA population included in the study, there were 26,068 COVID-19 deaths in the period between January 2020 and May 2022. Compared with their respective reference groups, workers who were 50-64 years old, male, Native Hawaiian, Latino, or African American, foreign-born; individuals who had lower education; and unmarried were disproportionately affected by COVID-19 mortality. While disparities by sex, race/ethnicity and foreign-born status narrowed in later waves (post-vaccine availability), disparities by age, education level and marital status did not change substantially across waves. CONCLUSION Demographic disparities in COVID-19 mortality narrowed in the post-vaccine availability waves. However, the existence of disparities across all waves of the pandemic, even in an era of widespread vaccine coverage, could indicate remaining gaps in prevention and differential vulnerability. Addressing the underlying social, structural, and occupational factors that contribute to these disparities is critical for achieving health equity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Gebreegziabher
- Occupational Health Branch, California Department of Public Health, 850 Marina Bay Parkway, Richmond, CA, 94804, USA.
- Heluna Health, 13300 Crossroads Pkwy. N #450, City of Industry, CA, 91746, USA.
| | - David Bui
- Occupational Health Branch, California Department of Public Health, 850 Marina Bay Parkway, Richmond, CA, 94804, USA
- Heluna Health, 13300 Crossroads Pkwy. N #450, City of Industry, CA, 91746, USA
| | - Kristin J Cummings
- Occupational Health Branch, California Department of Public Health, 850 Marina Bay Parkway, Richmond, CA, 94804, USA
| | - Matthew Frederick
- Occupational Health Branch, California Department of Public Health, 850 Marina Bay Parkway, Richmond, CA, 94804, USA
- Public Health Institute, Oakland, CA, 94607, USA
| | - Alyssa Nguyen
- Infectious Diseases Branch, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, CA, 94804, USA
| | - Caroline Collins
- Heluna Health, 13300 Crossroads Pkwy. N #450, City of Industry, CA, 91746, USA
- Infectious Diseases Branch, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, CA, 94804, USA
| | - David Melton
- Heluna Health, 13300 Crossroads Pkwy. N #450, City of Industry, CA, 91746, USA
- Infectious Diseases Branch, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, CA, 94804, USA
| | - Alice Yang
- Heluna Health, 13300 Crossroads Pkwy. N #450, City of Industry, CA, 91746, USA
- Infectious Diseases Branch, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, CA, 94804, USA
| | - Seema Jain
- Infectious Diseases Branch, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, CA, 94804, USA
| | - Ximena Vergara
- Occupational Health Branch, California Department of Public Health, 850 Marina Bay Parkway, Richmond, CA, 94804, USA
- Heluna Health, 13300 Crossroads Pkwy. N #450, City of Industry, CA, 91746, USA
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Lee J. Correlates of and Disparities in Cancellations or Delays of Prenatal Visits During the Covid-19 Pandemic: Emphasis on Racial/Ethnic Minorities and Persons with Low Socioeconomic Status. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2024; 11:1564-1577. [PMID: 37160575 PMCID: PMC10169131 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-023-01632-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate barriers and disparities in prenatal visits across population subgroups. METHODS This pooled cross-sectional study was conducted using Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System for 2020 through 2021. Women who reported their experiences of cancellation or delay in prenatal visits were included. A multivariable regression analysis estimated adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) for cancellations or delays in prenatal care. RESULTS Of a total of 11,427, one-third had cancelled or delayed care. Hispanics, compared to their white counterparts, were 22% likelier to have cancelled or delayed care. Women covered by Medicaid and those with depression had 17% and 34% greater likelihoods of cancellation or delay, respectively. Cancellations or delays were comparable for the years 2020 and 2021 across reasons, except for facility closures, which were more common in 2020 than in 2021. Hispanics tended to cancel or delay prenatal visits more often than whites for reasons, such as facility closures, COVID-19-related reasons, a lack of transportation, and loss of insurance, while transportation and insurance issues were greater barriers for blacks. Women with less than a high school diploma were more likely to report cancellations or delays due to transportation issues (aPR 2.86, 95%CI 1.47-5.57; p = 0.002) and loss of insurance (aPR 4.82, 95%CI 1.64-14.23; P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS While a large proportion of women experienced disruptions in prenatal care, subsets of the population, including racial/ethnic minorities and the low socioeconomically disadvantaged, faced disproportionate challenges. The current findings provide practical implications for a tailored approach to reducing barriers and disparities in prenatal care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jusung Lee
- Department of Public Health, College for Health, Community and Policy, University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX, 78249, USA.
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Paat YF, Orezzoli MCE, Ngan CK, Olimpo JT. Racial Health Disparities and Black Heterogeneity in COVID-19: A Case Study of Miami Gardens. JOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL SCIENCE 2023; 17:190-208. [PMID: 38603238 PMCID: PMC9868486 DOI: 10.1177/19367244221142565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is a critical public health concern that has disproportionately affected the Black community in the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine the risk and protective factors faced by residents in the City of Miami Gardens during the COVID-19 pandemic, with emphases placed on racial health disparities and Black heterogeneity. Using convenience and snowball sampling, quantitative and qualitative data for this study were collected via an anonymous online questionnaire using QuestionPro. Survey links were distributed by e-mail invitations with assistance from city officials to the residents of this predominantly Black city in Florida (n = 83). Descriptive statistics and relevant qualitative responses are presented. Furthermore, a machine learning (ML) approach was used to select the most critical variables that characterized the two racial groups (Black versus non-Black participants) based on four ML feature selectors. Study findings offered important and interesting insights. Specifically, despite the greater prevalence of adopting measures to protect themselves and others from COVID-19, Black participants were more susceptible to activities that increased their COVID-19 risk levels. In addition, their rate of infection, particularly among the Afro-Caribbean ethnic group, was reported to be higher, indicating the need to further investigate the underlying conditions and root causes (including vaccine hesitancy and refusal) that contribute to their greater health disparities.
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Said M, Tahlyan D, Stathopoulos A, Mahmassani H, Walker J, Shaheen S. In-person, pick up or delivery? Evolving patterns of household spending behavior through the early reopening phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. TRAVEL BEHAVIOUR & SOCIETY 2023; 31:295-311. [PMID: 36643616 PMCID: PMC9826997 DOI: 10.1016/j.tbs.2023.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Consumer reactions to COVID-19 pandemic disruptions have been varied, including modifications in spending frequency, amount, product categories and delivery channels. This study analyzes spending data from a sample of 720 U.S. households during the start of deconfinement and early vaccine rollout to understand changes in spending and behavior one year into the pandemic. This paper finds that overall spending is similar to pre-pandemic levels, except for a 28% decline in prepared food spending. More educated and higher income households with children have shifted away from in-person spending, whereas politically conservative respondents are more likely to shop in-person and via pickup.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maher Said
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University, A308 Technological Institute, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Divyakant Tahlyan
- Transportation Center, Northwestern University, 600 Foster Street, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Amanda Stathopoulos
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University, A312 Technological Institute, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Hani Mahmassani
- Transportation Center, Northwestern University, 600 Foster Street, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Joan Walker
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California at Berkeley, 111 McLaughlin Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-1720, USA
| | - Susan Shaheen
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 408 McLaughlin Hall, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-1720, USA
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Park J, Park D. Racial disparities in unemployment benefits among U.S. mortgage borrowers during COVID-19. JOURNAL OF HOUSING AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT : HBE 2023; 38:1-31. [PMID: 36624828 PMCID: PMC9812739 DOI: 10.1007/s10901-022-10006-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
This article describes racial and ethnic differences in mortgage payment difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic and examines whether disparities exist in the benefits of the unemployment insurance (UI) program. The sample consisted of 80,797 jobless mortgage borrowers who received or waited for UI benefits between August 2020 and May 2022. Considering individual- and state-level variables in multilevel logistic regressions, we examined rates of mortgage delay in the last month and payment concerns about the next month by racial and ethnic group. Minority borrowers were more likely to have a difficulty in paying mortgage than White borrowers. UI recipients-regardless of race and ethnicity-were less likely to experience mortgage difficulties, but the positive unemployment benefit was reduced disproportionately among Blacks. Blacks were also at a higher risk of mortgage difficulties compounded by other pandemic-induced hardships-loss of household, lack of food, and mental illness-even after the receipt of UI. Findings on the intersection between race and ethnicity and UI suggest that pandemic policy interventions should be race conscious and consider the longstanding and systematic barriers experienced by minority mortgage borrowers. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10901-022-10006-w.
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Affiliation(s)
- JungHo Park
- Department of Housing and Interior Design (AgeTech-Service Convergence Major), College of Human Ecology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Dongha Park
- Department of Urban Planning and Housing, Gyeonggi Research Institute, 1150, Gyeongsu-daero, Jangan-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi Province 16207 South Korea
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Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on racial and ethnic minorities in Japan. Epidemiol Infect 2022; 150:e202. [PMID: 36285525 DOI: 10.1017/s0950268822001674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
This study compared clinico-epidemiological characteristics between Japanese and non-Japanese coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients under the pandemic in Japan. We retrospectively analysed nationwide data of hospitalised COVID-19 patients before 31 March 2021. Epidemic curves were constructed to identify the case distribution over time. A total of 28 093 patients were Japanese and 1335 patients were non-Japanese. The major racial and ethnic minorities were East Asians (n = 521), South Asians (n = 260) and Latin Americans (n = 270). Non-Japanese patients were younger and more likely to travel to COVID-19 endemic countries (7.7%), had meals with other people (17.8%), stayed in crowded places (17.9%) and worked mainly in restaurants (6.6%) and service facilities in nightlife businesses (5.2%). In the matched cohorts, we found no clear disparities in time to admission and clinical prognoses. The epidemic curve for non-Japanese patients showed a small peak in the first wave and no definite waves for the second or third waves. Racial and ethnic minorities were at less risk of severe disease but were at a greater risk of COVID-19 exposure; however, the healthcare system in Japan may provide them with equal opportunities to access inpatient care with Japanese. Further research on their social determinants of health in Japan is required.
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Boyer CJ, Ugarte E, Buhler‐Wassmann AC, Hibel LC. Latina mothers navigating COVID-19: Within- and between-family stress processes over time. FAMILY RELATIONS 2022; 72:FARE12748. [PMID: 36246208 PMCID: PMC9538364 DOI: 10.1111/fare.12748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Objective This study aimed to understand how periodic shifts in financial cutbacks and fears of contracting COVID-19 contributed to children's externalizing behaviors due to increases in maternal stress among low-income Latina mothers during the first 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Background The COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread health, economic, and psychological consequences for families and children. The Latino community is particularly vulnerable to the economic and health risks of this pandemic as a consequence of systemic oppression. The family stress model suggests that these family stressors will have psychological repercussions to parents, and downstream behavioral consequences to children. Method We examined both the within- and between-person impacts of worry surrounding contracting the virus and the economic consequences of the pandemic on maternal stress and child externalizing behaviors. Participants were 73 Latina mothers who completed assessments an average eight times across the first 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. At each assessment time, the mother was asked about worries surrounding contracting the virus, economic cutbacks the family was making, her perceived stress, and her child's externalizing behaviors during a brief phone call. Results Between-families, higher economic cutbacks indirectly increased child externalizing behaviors through maternal stress. The within-family model revealed that at assessments when mothers expressed greater worry about contracting the COVID-19 virus, they also reported greater stress. Further, at the within-person level, a mother's greater experience of stress was associated with greater reports of child externalizing behaviors, though the indirect association between COVID-19 contract worry and child externalizing behaviors through maternal stress was not significant. Conclusions Across the first 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the children in Latino families participating in this research exhibited more externalizing behaviors among families that engaged in more financial cutbacks as a function maternal stress. However, periodic spikes in Latina mothers' fears of contracting COVID-19 contributed to periodic spikes in stress, which predicted periodic spikes in child externalizing behaviors. Implications Greater effort toward social policy that provides economic support for vulnerable families before periods of increased societal stress and greater protections for workers with limited sick leave and schedule flexibility will help promote resilience to future crises among low-income Latino families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chase J. Boyer
- Department of Human EcologyUniversity of California–DavisDavis, CA
| | - Elisa Ugarte
- Department of Human EcologyUniversity of California–DavisDavis, CA
| | | | - Leah C. Hibel
- Department of Human EcologyUniversity of California–DavisDavis, CA
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Gwadz M, Cleland CM, Lizardo M, Hawkins RL, Bangser G, Parameswaran L, Stanhope V, Robinson JA, Karim S, Hollaway T, Ramirez PG, Filippone PL, Ritchie AS, Banfield A, Silverman E. Using the multiphase optimization strategy (MOST) framework to optimize an intervention to increase COVID-19 testing for Black and Latino/Hispanic frontline essential workers: A study protocol. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:1235. [PMID: 35729622 PMCID: PMC9210062 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13576-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Among those at highest risk for COVID-19 exposure is the large population of frontline essential workers in occupations such food service, retail, personal care, and in-home health services, among whom Black and Latino/Hispanic persons are over-represented. For those not vaccinated and at risk for exposure to COVID-19, including frontline essential workers, regular (approximately weekly) COVID-19 testing is recommended. However, Black and Latino/Hispanic frontline essential workers in these occupations experience serious impediments to COVID-19 testing at individual/attitudinal- (e.g., lack of knowledge of guidelines), social- (e.g., social norms), and structural-levels of influence (e.g., poor access), and rates of testing for COVID-19 are insufficient. Methods/design The proposed community-engaged study uses the multiphase optimization strategy (MOST) framework and an efficient factorial design to test four candidate behavioral intervention components informed by an integrated conceptual model that combines critical race theory, harm reduction, and self-determination theory. They are A) motivational interview counseling, B) text messaging grounded in behavioral economics, C) peer education, and D) access to testing (via navigation to an appointment vs. a self-test kit). All participants receive health education on COVID-19. The specific aims are to: identify which components contribute meaningfully to improvement in the primary outcome, COVID-19 testing confirmed with documentary evidence, with the most effective combination of components comprising an “optimized” intervention that strategically balances effectiveness against affordability, scalability, and efficiency (Aim 1); identify mediators and moderators of the effects of components (Aim 2); and use a mixed-methods approach to explore relationships among COVID-19 testing and vaccination (Aim 3). Participants will be N = 448 Black and Latino/Hispanic frontline essential workers not tested for COVID-19 in the past six months and not fully vaccinated for COVID-19, randomly assigned to one of 16 intervention conditions, and assessed at 6- and 12-weeks post-baseline. Last, N = 50 participants will engage in qualitative in-depth interviews. Discussion This optimization trial is designed to yield an effective, affordable, and efficient behavioral intervention that can be rapidly scaled in community settings. Further, it will advance the literature on intervention approaches for social inequities such as those evident in the COVID-19 pandemic. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05139927; Registered on 11/29/2021. Protocol version 1.0. May 2, 2022, Version 1.0 Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-13576-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marya Gwadz
- Intervention Innovations Team Lab (IIT-Lab), NYU Silver School of Social Work, 1 Washington Square North, New York, NY, 10003, USA. .,Center for Drug Use and HIV Research (CDUHR), NYU School of Global Public Health, 708 Broadway, New York, NY, 10003, USA.
| | - Charles M Cleland
- Center for Drug Use and HIV Research (CDUHR), NYU School of Global Public Health, 708 Broadway, New York, NY, 10003, USA.,Division of Biostatistics, Department of Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 180 Madison Ave, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Maria Lizardo
- Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC), 45 Wadsworth Avenue, New York, NY, 10033, USA
| | - Robert L Hawkins
- Intervention Innovations Team Lab (IIT-Lab), NYU Silver School of Social Work, 1 Washington Square North, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Greg Bangser
- Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC), 45 Wadsworth Avenue, New York, NY, 10033, USA
| | - Lalitha Parameswaran
- Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Victoria Stanhope
- Intervention Innovations Team Lab (IIT-Lab), NYU Silver School of Social Work, 1 Washington Square North, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Jennifer A Robinson
- Intervention Innovations Team Lab (IIT-Lab), NYU Silver School of Social Work, 1 Washington Square North, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Shristi Karim
- Intervention Innovations Team Lab (IIT-Lab), NYU Silver School of Social Work, 1 Washington Square North, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Tierra Hollaway
- Intervention Innovations Team Lab (IIT-Lab), NYU Silver School of Social Work, 1 Washington Square North, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Paola G Ramirez
- Intervention Innovations Team Lab (IIT-Lab), NYU Silver School of Social Work, 1 Washington Square North, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Prema L Filippone
- Intervention Innovations Team Lab (IIT-Lab), NYU Silver School of Social Work, 1 Washington Square North, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Amanda S Ritchie
- Intervention Innovations Team Lab (IIT-Lab), NYU Silver School of Social Work, 1 Washington Square North, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth Silverman
- SUNY Research Foundation, Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11203, USA
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Mehring WM, Kim JS, Hendel C, Hochman M. COVID-19 Exposure Risk by Speakers of Spanish and English Using a Web-Based Self-assessment Tool. J Gen Intern Med 2021; 36:1835-1836. [PMID: 33821408 PMCID: PMC8021293 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-021-06756-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- William M Mehring
- The Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Jeniffer S Kim
- The Gehr Center for Health Systems Science and Innovation, The Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Chris Hendel
- The Gehr Center for Health Systems Science and Innovation, The Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael Hochman
- The Gehr Center for Health Systems Science and Innovation, The Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Andrasfay T, Goldman N. Association of the COVID-19 Pandemic With Estimated Life Expectancy by Race/Ethnicity in the United States, 2020. JAMA Netw Open 2021; 4:e2114520. [PMID: 34165582 PMCID: PMC8226419 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.14520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Theresa Andrasfay
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Noreen Goldman
- Office of Population Research and Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
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Kotsiou OS, Pantazopoulos I, Papagiannis D, Fradelos EC, Kanellopoulos N, Siachpazidou D, Kirgou P, Mouliou DS, Kyritsis A, Kalantzis G, Saharidis GKD, Tzounis E, Gourgoulianis KI. Repeated Antigen-Based Rapid Diagnostic Testing for Estimating the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Prevalence from the Perspective of the Workers' Vulnerability before and during the Lockdown. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:1638. [PMID: 33572118 PMCID: PMC7915907 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18041638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND No previous study has investigated the SARS-CoV-2 prevalence and the changes in the proportion of positive results due to lockdown measures from the angle of workers' vulnerability to coronavirus in Greece. Two community-based programs were implemented to evaluate the SARS-CoV-2 prevalence and investigate if the prevalence changes were significant across various occupations before and one month after lockdown. METHODS Following consent, sociodemographic, clinical, and job-related information were recorded. The VivaDiag™ SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test was used. Positive results confirmed by a real-time Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction for SARS-COV-2. RESULTS Positive participants were more likely to work in the catering/food sector than negative participants before the lockdown. Lockdown restrictions halved the new cases. No significant differences in the likelihood of being SARS-CoV-2 positive for different job categories were detected during lockdown. The presence of respiratory symptoms was an independent predictor for rapid antigen test positivity; however, one-third of newly diagnosed patients were asymptomatic at both time points. CONCLUSIONS The catering/food sector was the most vulnerable to COVID-19 at the pre-lockdown evaluation. We highlight the crucial role of community-based screening with rapid antigen testing to evaluate the potential modes of community transmission and the impact of infection control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ourania S. Kotsiou
- Department of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, GAIOPOLIS, 41110 Larissa, Greece;
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, BIOPOLIS, 41110 Larissa, Greece; (I.P.); (N.K.); (D.S.); (P.K.); (D.S.M.); (A.K.); (K.I.G.)
| | - Ioannis Pantazopoulos
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, BIOPOLIS, 41110 Larissa, Greece; (I.P.); (N.K.); (D.S.); (P.K.); (D.S.M.); (A.K.); (K.I.G.)
| | - Dimitrios Papagiannis
- Public Health & Vaccines Lab, Department of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, GAIOPOLIS, 41110 Larissa, Greece;
| | - Evangelos C. Fradelos
- Department of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, GAIOPOLIS, 41110 Larissa, Greece;
- Public Health & Vaccines Lab, Department of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, GAIOPOLIS, 41110 Larissa, Greece;
| | - Nikolaos Kanellopoulos
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, BIOPOLIS, 41110 Larissa, Greece; (I.P.); (N.K.); (D.S.); (P.K.); (D.S.M.); (A.K.); (K.I.G.)
| | - Dimitra Siachpazidou
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, BIOPOLIS, 41110 Larissa, Greece; (I.P.); (N.K.); (D.S.); (P.K.); (D.S.M.); (A.K.); (K.I.G.)
| | - Paraskevi Kirgou
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, BIOPOLIS, 41110 Larissa, Greece; (I.P.); (N.K.); (D.S.); (P.K.); (D.S.M.); (A.K.); (K.I.G.)
| | - Dimitra S. Mouliou
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, BIOPOLIS, 41110 Larissa, Greece; (I.P.); (N.K.); (D.S.); (P.K.); (D.S.M.); (A.K.); (K.I.G.)
| | - Athanasios Kyritsis
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, BIOPOLIS, 41110 Larissa, Greece; (I.P.); (N.K.); (D.S.); (P.K.); (D.S.M.); (A.K.); (K.I.G.)
| | - Georgios Kalantzis
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Thessaly, Leoforos Athinon, 8 Pedion Areos, 38334 Volos, Greece; (G.K.); (G.K.D.S.)
| | - Georgios K. D. Saharidis
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Thessaly, Leoforos Athinon, 8 Pedion Areos, 38334 Volos, Greece; (G.K.); (G.K.D.S.)
| | | | - Konstantinos I. Gourgoulianis
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, BIOPOLIS, 41110 Larissa, Greece; (I.P.); (N.K.); (D.S.); (P.K.); (D.S.M.); (A.K.); (K.I.G.)
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Gaitens J, Condon M, Fernandes E, McDiarmid M. COVID-19 and Essential Workers: A Narrative Review of Health Outcomes and Moral Injury. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:1446. [PMID: 33557075 PMCID: PMC7913818 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18041446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a number of added obstacles to safe employment for already-challenged essential workers. Essential workers not employed in the health sector generally include racially diverse, low-wage workers whose jobs require close interaction with the public and/or close proximity to their coworkers, placing them at increased risk of infection. A narrative review facilitated the analyses of health outcome data in these workers and contributing factors to illness related to limited workplace protections and a lack of organizational support. Findings suggest that this already marginalized population may also be at increased risk of "moral injury" due to specific work-related factors, such as limited personal protective equipment (PPE) and the failure of the employer, as the safety and health "duty holder," to protect workers. Evidence suggests that ethical and, in some cases, legally required safety protections benefit not only the individual worker, but an employer's enterprise and the larger community which can retain access to resilient, essential services.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marian Condon
- School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21204, USA; (J.G.); (E.F.); (M.M.)
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