Estimates of COVID-19 Risk Factors among Social Strata and Predictors for a Vulnerability to the Infection.

Dimitra S Mouliou,Konstantinos I Gourgoulianis,Ourania S Kotsiou

doi:10.3390/ijerph18168701

Dimitra S Mouliou, Konstantinos I Gourgoulianis + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168701

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Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged as a potentially severe disease, especially for individuals presenting with certain underlying medical conditions. We analyzed the rates of comorbidities and symptoms to reveal the potential severity of the pandemic in Volos, one of the most air-polluted cities in Greece. Environmental and health-related predictors for SARS-CoV-2 infection were investigated. A web-based questionnaire was disseminated through social media in the first half of March 2021 during a five-month strict lockdown. Sociodemographic data, preexisting medical conditions, frequency of clinical symptoms, and COVID-19 information were recorded. The study population consisted of 2000 responders. Four-fifths of the participants reported comorbidities that could increase vulnerability to severe COVID-19. Respiratory symptoms were reported from the unemployed and from retirees, and cold-related symptoms were reported in the education sector and in undergraduates. Women and younger generations shaped social vulnerability to respiratory infections similar to the elderly. SARS-CoV-2 infection was reported in 3.7% of the study population. Common headache (OR 2; CI 1189–3013; p = 0.007) and prior pneumonia (OR 1.9; CI 1024–2898; p = 0.04) were significant predictors for susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The importance of monitoring society through community-based questionnaires is highlighted, for predicting and preventing future widespread transmission of infectious diseases.

Highlights

Coronaviruses have stigmatized humanity since the beginning of the 21st century.A novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was reported from a cluster of cases of pneumonia in December 2019, in Wuhan, China [1]
From 7 November 2020, only basic movements were allowed to the public via short message service (SMS) authorization, and most tertiary sector services switched to distance work
3.7% in our study reported a confirmed COVID-19 infection, with a slightly higher percentage in healthcare workers, which is increasingly indicative of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 [25], while the lowest percentage was detected in unemployed participants, who exhibited a respiratory vulnerability

Summary

Introduction

Coronaviruses have stigmatized humanity since the beginning of the 21st century. A novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was reported from a cluster of cases of pneumonia in December 2019, in Wuhan, China [1]. Emergency, respiratory, and epidemiological scientific communities have made many attempts to monitor COVID19. Risk factors for a possible severe SARS-CoV-2 infection, mainly age and certain underlying medical conditions, have regularly been demonstrated by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [2]. Viral pathogenesis has been underestimated by numerous pathogenic mechanisms and is influenced by a variety of factors, including environmental, and host-related parameters. The societal prevalence of the reported risk factors for a potential severe

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