How Can the Roma Deal with the Health and Social Crisis Generated by the COVID-19 Pandemic? Inequalities, Challenges, and Successful Actions in Catalonia (Spain)

Khalfaoui, Andrea; Garcia-Espinel, Tania; Macías-Aranda, Fernando; Roldán, Silvia Molina

doi:10.1007/s40615-023-01736-w

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Similar findings were also observed in the studies of Mocanu et al, while also taking into consideration that Roma patients were more likely to be unemployed [ 38 , 39 ]. The unemployment situation of Roma patients remains a hot topic, even at an international level [ 40 ]. Their study, published in 2023, also established more Roma patients being chronic smokers, while this study could not establish such a relationship ( p = 0.1546).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on Roma Vulnerable Communities in Western Romania: Insights and Predictive Factors from a Retrospective Study

Capraru,

Marian,

Vulcanescu

et al. 2024

Viruses

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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected vulnerable populations like Roma patients in Western Romania due to marginalization and limited healthcare access. Methods: A retrospective study analyzed COVID-19 cases between March 2020 and August 2022 using data from the Directorate of Public Health in Timis county. Demographic, epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory data were assessed, along with risk factors and biomarkers for ICU admission and mortality prediction. The following biomarkers were assessed: C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin (FER), IL-6, D-dimers, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and 25-OH vitamin D (25-OHD). Results: In comparison with the general population (GP), Roma patients were more overweight (p = 0.0292), came from rural areas (p = 0.0001), could not recall transmission source (p = 0.0215), were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU, p = 0.0399) more frequently, had worse symptomatology (p = 0.0490), showed more elevated levels of CRP (p = 0.0245) and IL-6 (p < 0.0001) and lower levels of HDL (p = 0.0008) and 25-OHD (p = 0.0299). A stronger, significant correlation was observed between CRP and severity (rho = 0.791 vs. 0.433 in GP), and an inverse stronger significant one was observed between HDL and severity (rho = −0.850 vs. −0.734 in GP) in the Roma patients. The male sex continues to be an important risk factor for ICU admission (OR = 2.379) and death (OR = 1.975), while heavy smoking was more important in relation to ICU admission (OR = 1.768). Although the Roma ethnicity was 1.454 times more at risk of ICU admission than the GP, this did not prove statistically significant (p = 0.0751). CRP was the most important predictive factor in regards to admission to the ICU for both Roma (OR = 1.381) and the GP (OR = 1.110) and in regards to death (OR = 1.154 for Roma, OR = 1.104 for GP). A protective effect of normal values of HDL and 25-OHD was observed in the GP for both ICU admission (OR = 0.947, 0.853, respectively) and death (OR = 0.920, 0.921, respectively), while for the Roma group, normal 25-OHD values were only considered protective in regards to death (OR = 0.703). Cutoff values for ICU admission were 28.98 mg/L for Roma and 29.03 mg/L for GP patients, with high specificity for both groups (over 95). Conclusions: Higher rates of ICU admissions, severe symptomatology, and distinct laboratory biomarker profiles among Roma patients emphasize the critical importance of personalized care strategies and targeted interventions to mitigate the disproportionate burden of COVID-19 on vulnerable communities. CRP values at admission have had a clear impact as a risk assessment biomarker for Roma patients, while the significance of IL-6, HDL, and 25-OHD should also not be overlooked in these patients.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on Roma Vulnerable Communities in Western Romania: Insights and Predictive Factors from a Retrospective Study

Capraru,

Marian,

Vulcanescu

et al. 2024

Viruses

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“…Nevertheless, Roma communities have not remained passive in the face of persistent antigypsyism but have organized (Aiello-Cabrera et al, 2022b;Khalfaoui et al, 2023). Scholars agree that the origins of the Romani movement are closely tied to the unique political and social histories of each country or region.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Engaging with the claim of Roma people through twitter: who is behind the hashtags?

Aiello-Cabrera,

Troya,

Flecha

et al. 2023

Front. Sociol.

Self Cite

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Grassroots Roma communities play a pivotal role in organizing at the grassroots level, advocating for their rights, and challenging anti-Roma sentiment across Europe. Nevertheless, there remains a need for a deeper understanding of how these efforts manifest within the digital landscape. Within the overarching framework of the Narratives4Change project (EU Marie Curie Action, Nr. 841,355), this study seeks to examine the use of Twitter as a platform for advocating Roma-related issues. Specifically, it investigates the types of actors engaged in tweeting about Roma-related content and explores potential variations in profiles (organizations vs. individuals) based on the content being tweeted. The analysis encompasses six Roma-related hashtags spanning the years 2017 to 2020: #RomaLivesMatter, #InternationalRomaDay, #OpreRoma, #OpreRomnia, #MujerGitana, and #RomaWomen. The findings reveal that organizations are most active when employing the hashtags #InternationalRomaDay and #MujerGitana, whereas for the other hashtags studied, individual users dominate. Our data underscore the untapped potential of social media spaces and their ecosystems as strategic tools for advocacy and mobilization in support of Roma rights throughout Europe.

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Roma in the COVID-19 Crisis: Transformative Elements That Emerge from the Research

Valero,

Elboj,

De Botton

2024

Social Sciences

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Research on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Roma community consistently demonstrates that it has exacerbated pre-existing social exclusion and marginalization. However, few studies have specifically addressed the transformative actions or strategies that helped to mitigate these adverse effects. This study aimed to identify and analyze transformative elements through a systematic review, following PRISMA guidelines. The search was conducted across Web of Science, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar, yielding 995 records, of which 46 were included in the final phase and 25 in our synthesis. Our analysis focused on community-led initiatives that addressed inequalities, particularly when Roma community members were involved in the design of solutions or took on mediation roles. The results underscore the critical importance of inclusive, community-driven actions in overcoming structural barriers and promoting long-term resilience within Roma communities during the pandemic.

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How Can the Roma Deal with the Health and Social Crisis Generated by the COVID-19 Pandemic? Inequalities, Challenges, and Successful Actions in Catalonia (Spain)

Cited by 3 publications

References 37 publications

Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on Roma Vulnerable Communities in Western Romania: Insights and Predictive Factors from a Retrospective Study

Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on Roma Vulnerable Communities in Western Romania: Insights and Predictive Factors from a Retrospective Study

Engaging with the claim of Roma people through twitter: who is behind the hashtags?

Roma in the COVID-19 Crisis: Transformative Elements That Emerge from the Research

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