Populations in very precarious situations are more infected than average by SARS-CoV-2, in particular because of overcrowding.
- For the first time, a study shows that the most precarious are the most affected by the coronavirus.
- Among the 543 people who took part in the survey in the accommodation centres, one person in two was seropositive for SARS-COV-2.
Title Precariousness and seroprevalence of Covid-19 in Ile-de-France, a new study by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) shows that a high proportion of precarious people have been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus: the seroprevalence varies from 18 to 94% depending on the sites studied, which include fourteen places of intervention of the NGO in the Paris region.
The person must share bedroom, showers and kitchen
Despite the barrier gestures, “the results confirm that the circulation of the virus was more particularly active in situations where promiscuity was the strongest, that is to say when the person had to share a bedroom, showers and kitchen with several other people. emphasizes Thomas Roederer, epidemiologist and head of this study.
The study was conducted among 818 people spread over two food distribution sites, two workers’ homes and ten emergency accommodation centers, located in Paris, Val d’Oise and Seine-Saint-Denis.
In all these sites, the proportion of people exposed to the virus who developed antibodies to Covid-19 was found to be very high. The significant variation in this seroprevalence is explained by the high degree of overcrowding in living areas: from 23 to 62% in emergency accommodation centres, from 18% to 35% in the two food distribution sites, and from 82% to 94% in the two workers’ homes.
“Better protection”
Among the 543 people who participated in the survey in the accommodation centers, one in two people was seropositive for SARS-CoV-2. By way of comparison, a recent survey conducted by Public Health France has just shown that one person in ten was HIV positive in Ile-de-France.
“The main objective of this survey was to assess the intensity of the circulation of the virus among populations in very precarious situations and to define specific preventive actions to better protect them. With the upsurge in the number of positive cases in France, our survey confirms the need to conduct more epidemiological studies to better define the priority strategies vis-à-vis the populations most at risk”. concludes Thomas Roederer.
.
