SARS-CoV-2 among migrants and forcibly displaced populations: a rapid systematic review

Abstract

The economic and health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic pose a particular threat to vulnerable groups, such as migrants, particularly forcibly displaced populations. The aim of this review is (i) to synthesise the evidence on risk of infection and transmission among migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced populations, and (ii) the effect of lockdown measures on these populations. We searched MEDLINE and WOS, preprint servers, and pertinent websites between 1st December 2019 and 26th June 2020. The included studies showed a high heterogeneity in study design, population, outcome and quality. The incidence risk of SARS-CoV-2 varied from 0·12% to 2·08% in non-outbreak settings and from 5·64% to 21·15% in outbreak settings. Migrants showed a lower hospitalisation rate compared to non-migrants. Negative impacts on mental health due to lockdown measures were found across respective studies. However, findings show a tenuous and heterogeneous data situation, showing the need for more robust and comparative study designs.

The Impact of Covid-19 on Different Population Subgroups: Ethnic, Gender and Age-Related Disadvantage

“…38 However, migrants may be disproportionately affected by the pandemic -particularly undocumented migrants (who lack paperwork echanisms underpinning ethnic inequalities SV Katikireddi, KJ Hainey, S Beale for residence), refugees (who have legal entitlement to reside in a new country due to a well-founded fear of persecution) and asylum seekers (who are applying for refugee status) 39 -as suggested by a recent systematic review. 40 The limited support from the UK Government -for example under the 'no recourse to public funds' condition of residency -may particularly affect these groups during periods of lockdown. While restrictions on entitlement to free healthcare for migrants have been waived for COVID-19 in England, confusion about such exemptions amongst both staff and patients threatens access to healthcare.…”

Epidemiological modelling in refugee and internally displaced people settlements: challenges and ways forward

“…Despite a few systematic studies in settlements,46 these communities remain largely underserved by disease surveillance research. Indeed, a recent review focusing on studies of transmission, reinfection, and other health risks among migrants and forcibly displaced populations noted that there is significant heterogeneity in the design of existing studies, making the available data difficult to compare across settings and demonstrating the need for more robust, systematic, and comparative study designs47 (see the WHO Unity Study protocol for an example of an attempt to harmonise such data collection48).…”

Asian Economic Integration Report 2022:

“…The incidences of COVID-19 are more prevalent among migrants and forcibly displaced persons than among nonmigrants. For example, the incidence rates of migrant workers who had resided in overcrowded accommodation in Singapore range from 5.64% to 21.15% (Hintermeier et al 2021). This is aggravated by the fact that health is frequently forgotten in migration governance and that migrants are frequently left out in preparedness and response plans (Wickramage and Annunziata 2018;Guinto et al 2015).…”