Structural factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection risk in an urban slum setting in Salvador, Brazil: A cross-sectional survey.
Mariam O FofanaNivison NeryJuan P Aguilar TiconaEmília Maria Medeiros de Andrade BelitardoRenato VictorianoRosângela O AnjosMoyra Machado PortilhoMayara C de SantanaLaiara Lopes Dos SantosDaiana de OliveiraJaqueline S CruzM Catherine MuenkerRicardo KhouriElsio A WunderMatt D T HitchingsOlatunji JohnsonMitermayer Galvão Dos ReisGuilherme Sousa RibeiroDerek A T CummingsFederico CostaAlbert I KoPublished in: PLoS medicine (2022)
Prior to the peak of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, cumulative incidence as assessed by serology approached 50% in a Brazilian urban slum population. In contrast to observations from industrialized countries, SARS-CoV-2 incidence was highest among children, as well as women living in extreme poverty. These findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions that provide safe environments for children and mitigate the structural risks posed by crowding and poverty for the most vulnerable residents of urban slum communities.