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. 2021 Jan 7;21(1):83.
doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-10093-w.

Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 positive cases beyond health-care professionals or social and health-care facilities

Giovanna Deiana  1 , Antonio Azara  1   2 , Marco Dettori  3 , Fiorenzo Delogu  2 , Gavino Vargiu  2 , Isabella Gessa  2 , Antonella Arghittu  2   4 , Marcello Tidore  5 , Giorgio Steri  6 , Paolo Castiglia  1   2
Affiliations

Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 positive cases beyond health-care professionals or social and health-care facilities

Giovanna Deiana et al. BMC Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: During the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 in Italy, infection among health-care professionals and in the context of welfare and health-care facilities was a significant concern. It is known that the elderly or those with concomitant pathologies are at greater risk of a serious evolution of the disease if affected by COVID-19 and that health workers are a category with greater exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Until now, there has been little information on the epidemiological features and transmission dynamics of the COVID-19 outbreak which did not involve health-care professionals or social and health-care facilities. For this reason, this paper aims to describe the epidemiological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the general population outside these semi-closed communities.

Methods: The study was designed by analyzing the data of the 1371 SARS-CoV-2 positive subjects observed in Sardinia up to 9 July, 2020 and whose data were available in the public health department. Statistical analysis and graphic representation were performed using STATA and Adobe Illustrator, respectively.

Results: Of the positive cases analyzed, 323 (23.5%) are health-care workers and 563 (41.1%) reside in social or health-care facilities. The number of positive cases among the general population (subjects who do not belong to these semi-closed communities), is 399 (29.1%), 208 females and 191 males. The estimated Case Fatality Rate stands at 5.0%, which is almost half the rate reported for all the SARS-CoV-2 positive cases (9.8%). The geographical distribution of positive cases differs considerably from the distribution of the totality of cases in Sardinia.

Conclusions: This review provides an insight into the COVID-19 situation in the general community, ie not involving health-care professionals or social and health-care facilities. Understanding the evolving epidemiology and transmission dynamics of the outbreak outside of these semi-closed communities would provide appropriate information to guide intervention policy. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the vulnerability of our health-care system. Severe disruptions in care, medicine shortages and unequal access to health-care are but a few examples of the challenges faced by people living in Italy and Europe, highlighting the importance of evidence-based approaches in supporting the development of prevention and response strategies for future pandemics.

Keywords: COVID-19; Health-care professionals; Italy; SARS-CoV-2; Social and health-care facilities; Transmission dynamics.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Distribution of SARS-CoV-2 positive cases in Sardinia
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Spatial and temporal distribution of the positive cases under study in Sardinia. SS: Sassari, NU: Nuoro, OR: Oristano, CA: Cagliari, SU: Sud Sardegna, N.D.: for these particular cases the province has not been indicated. formula image: the origin of the infection was attributable to health-care workers or social and health-care facilities, formula image: the origin of the infection was unknown, formula image: the origin of the infection was known but not attributable to health-care workers or social and health-care facilities. Red: females, Blue: males. MAR 1, MAR 2, MAR 3, MAR 4: first, second, third, fourth week of March
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Cumulative cases of population under study and totality of cases in Sardinia divided by province. SS: Sassari, NU: Nuoro, OR: Oristano, CA: Cagliari, SU: Sud Sardegna
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Cumulative trend over time of incident cases in Sardinia
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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