NEW RESULTS

COVID-19’s Prevalence Among Rohingya Refugees and Host Communities in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

Forcibly displaced people often live in overcrowded camps in countries with struggling health systems, making this population highly vulnerable to COVID‐19. In the Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh, where large numbers of Rohingya refugees have settled in recent years after fleeing Myanmar, researchers worked with IPA to administer a phone-based survey to households in both refugee camps and nearby host communities. Preliminary results show a high prevalence of common COVID-19 symptoms, with 25 percent of camp residents and 13 percent of host community members reporting at least one symptom. While respondents generally reported high levels of knowledge about respiratory hygiene and COVID-19 transmission, attendance at religious and social events remained common, threatening efforts to contain the spread of the disease and suggesting that social influence interventions may be effective.

Learn more in the full summary and the WHO bulletin.