Analysis of infection in Oslo districts: “The share of immigrants seems to be an important risk factor”

In a new analysis, researchers looked at why some districts in Oslo have more coronavirus than others.

“The share of immigrants seems to be an important risk factor for infection in Oslo. Our analysis suggests that the connection may have other explanations than low socio-economic status and high household density,” a peer-reviewed article published in the Journal of the Norwegian Medical Association notes.

Erik Ganesh Iyer Søegaard and Zhanna Kan at Søndre Oslo DPS are the authors of the article. 

They have tried to look at how the factors of “household density,” share of immigrants, and socio-economic status affect the infection rates in different parts of Oslo.

One explanation that has often been cited is that residents in the hardest-hit districts live in more cramped conditions and often have occupations where they are in contact with other people.

Share of immigrants

In the analysis, the researchers found a connection between the share of immigrants and the rate of infection in the districts. 

Still, they did not find a statistically significant connection between the infection rate and socio-economic status and household density.

The authors of the article emphasize that there are several possible methodological and statistical weaknesses in the analysis. However, they still believe it can be useful for, among others, the health authorities.

“It may be that cultural/ethnic background in itself is a factor in the spread of infection. For example, there may be other norms for physical and social proximity, or there may be systematic misunderstandings about infection and infection control measures. Language barriers can also be a contributing factor, especially to immigrants born abroad,” they wrote.

Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews