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Factors influencing the frequency of airway infections in underage refugees: a retrospective, cross sectional study
Please always quote using this URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-213134
- Background: Infections are a leading cause of refugee morbidity. Recent data on the rate of airway infections and factors influencing their spread in refugee reception centers is scarce. Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional study of de-identified medical records with a focus on respiratory infections in underage refugees was conducted at two large German refugee reception centers. Results: In total, medical data from n = 10,431 refugees over an observational period of n = 819 days was analyzed. Among pediatric patients (n = 4289), 55.3%Background: Infections are a leading cause of refugee morbidity. Recent data on the rate of airway infections and factors influencing their spread in refugee reception centers is scarce. Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional study of de-identified medical records with a focus on respiratory infections in underage refugees was conducted at two large German refugee reception centers. Results: In total, medical data from n = 10,431 refugees over an observational period of n = 819 days was analyzed. Among pediatric patients (n = 4289), 55.3% presented at least once to the on-site medical ward with an acute respiratory infection or signs thereof. In 38.4% of pediatric consultations, acute airway infections or signs thereof were present. Airway infections spiked during colder months and were significantly more prevalent amongst preschool and resettled children. Their frequency displayed a positive correlation with the number of refugees housed at the reception centers. Conclusions: We show that respiratory infections are a leading cause for morbidity in young refugees and that their rate is influenced age, season, status, and residential density. This illustrates the need to protect refugee children from contracting airway infections which may also reduce the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the current pandemic.…
Author: | Frank Müller, Eva Hummers, Nele Hillermann, Christian Dopfer, Alexandra Jablonka, Tim Friede, Anne Simmenroth, Martin Wetzke |
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URN: | urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-213134 |
Document Type: | Journal article |
Faculties: | Medizinische Fakultät / Institut für Allgemeinmedizin |
Language: | English |
Parent Title (English): | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
ISSN: | 1660-4601 |
Year of Completion: | 2020 |
Volume: | 17 |
Issue: | 18 |
Article Number: | 6823 |
Source: | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2020) 17:18, 6823. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186823 |
DOI: | https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186823 |
Dewey Decimal Classification: | 6 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / 61 Medizin und Gesundheit / 610 Medizin und Gesundheit |
Tag: | COVID-19; adolescents; children; containment; crowded housing; migrants; refugees; respiratory infection; seasonality |
Release Date: | 2022/07/12 |
Date of first Publication: | 2020/09/18 |
EU-Project number / Contract (GA) number: | ZAM 5-85018031 |
OpenAIRE: | OpenAIRE |
Licence (German): | CC BY: Creative-Commons-Lizenz: Namensnennung 4.0 International |