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. 2024 May 31;10(11):e32130.
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32130. eCollection 2024 Jun 15.

The two-year epidemiological investigation of the COVID-19 pandemic in the nomadic population of Fars province, Southern Iran: An ecological study (February 20, 2020, to February 19, 2022)

Alireza Mirahmadizadeh  1 , Ahad Amiri Gharghani  2 , Alireza Heiran  1 , Nadia Rahimpour  3
Affiliations

The two-year epidemiological investigation of the COVID-19 pandemic in the nomadic population of Fars province, Southern Iran: An ecological study (February 20, 2020, to February 19, 2022)

Alireza Mirahmadizadeh et al. Heliyon. .

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vulnerability of traveling populations, yet little is known about the health status of nomadic communities. This ecological study aimed to investigate the health status of the nomadic population in Fars Province, Iran, during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Nomadic Information Registration System (NIRS) data were used to compare COVID-19 diagnostic tests, confirmed cases, referrals, hospital admissions, deaths, and vaccination coverage between the nomadic and general populations. Non-parametric chi-square test was used for data analysis.

Results: In Fars Province, COVID-19 diagnostic tests were performed on 2.73 % of the nomadic population and 40 % of the general population. The test positivity rate was 23.91 % for the nomadic population and 29.3 % for the general population. The case fatality ratio (CFR) for COVID-19 was 9.24 % for the nomadic population and 1.29 % for the general population. Additionally, only 41.83 % and 24.35 % of the nomadic population had received the first and second doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, respectively, which were lower than the general population's rates of 65.65 % and 59.71 %.

Conclusion: The nomadic population in Fars Province received suboptimal COVID-19 care compared to the general population.

Keywords: COVID-19; Hospitalized; Iran; Lifestyle travelers; Nomad.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Alireza Mirahmadizadeh reports financial support was provided by 10.13039/501100004320Shiraz University of Medical Sciences.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Total COVID-19 diagnostic tests and positive test percentages in general population and nomadic population of Fars Province during the first two years of the pandemic.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Percentages of referral to the outpatient centers, referral to hospitals and hospitalization due to the COVID-19 in general population and nomadic population of Fars Province during the first two years of the pandemic.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Coverage of the first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines in general population and nomadic population of Fars Province during the first two years of the pandemic.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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