Sources of COVID-19 infection among Chinese immigrants in Canada

Abstract

PurposeWith the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, understanding the sources of COVID-19 infection is crucial for developing effective public health strategies to control the spread of the disease. Chinese immigrants in Canada represent a population for which no study had previously been conducted to investigate the sources of COVID-19 infection. This study aimed to address this knowledge gap by examining the prevalence of various sources of COVID-19 within the Chinese immigrant community and identifying potential risk factors associated with each source. MethodsAn online cross-sectional survey was conducted in early 2023, which included questions on five possible sources of COVID-19 infection: family, social gatherings, workplace, public places, or unknown. A total of 591 responses were received, of which 488 eligible responses were included in the analysis. Results56.4% of the survey respondents were female, 45.0% had a university degree (or higher), and 19.4% of the participants were 65 years of age or older. Among the 226 individuals who contracted COVID-19, the most commonly reported source of infection was family members (29.2%), followed by public places (27.4%), and social gatherings (16.4%). Additionally, 16.4% of the respondents were uncertain where they had contracted the virus, and 10.6% of the respondents contracted COVID-19 from their workplace. ConclusionsA large majority of participants were able to identify the source of their COVID-19 infection, with results suggesting that individuals are at the highest risk for contraction of COVID-19 from infected family members. Our findings can inform public health efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 in Canada.