Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare delivery to an immigrant population in the Islamic Republic of Iran

Abstract

Background: Healthcare inequity has widely affected marginalized and immigrant communities globally during the COVID-19 pandemic.Aims: This study assessed the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on health care delivery to immigrant populations in Isfahan Province, Islamic Republic of Iran.Methods: All 67 hospitals across Isfahan Province were included in this study conducted from 1 March to 31 May 2020. Data on clinical manifestations, comorbidities, patient management, and outcomes of patients during hospital admission were extracted from medical records and analysed using SPSS for chi-square and odds ratio (OR).Results: One hundred and sixty-eight (3.3) of 5128 PCR-confirmed COVID-19 cases during the study period were immigrants and were included in the study. There were no differences in sex, clinical presentation, comorbidities, and length of hospital stay between the non-immigrant and immigrant groups. Immigrant patients were significantly younger and had poorer outcomes, including tracheal intubation OR = 1.9, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2-3.1); P = 0.009 and in-hospital mortality (OR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.1-2.4; P = 0.02). Conclusion: Adverse health outcomes among immigrant communities may be an indication of health inequity and should be addressed by the relevant policymakers.