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Objectives: During the first wave of COVID-19 in Québec, healthcare workers (HCWs) represented 25% of the cases in Montréal. A study was conducted to describe SARS-CoV-2-infected HCWs in Montréal, and certain workplace and household characteristics. Secondary objectives included estimating the associations between having had access to personal protective equipment (PPE) and training, and following self-isolation recommendations, and certain sociodemographic and workplace characteristics., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, based on a stratified random sample, among Montréal HCWs who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 between March and July 2020. A total of 370 participants answered a telephone-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were conducted, followed by log binomial regressions to estimate the associations., Results: Study participants were mostly female (74%), born outside of Canada (65%), and identified as Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC; 63%). In terms of healthcare positions, most were orderlies (40%) or registered nurses (20%). Half (52%) of the participants reported having had insufficient access to PPE and 30% reported having received no training related to SARS-CoV-2 infection prevention, with large proportions being BIPOC women. Working evening or night shifts decreased chances of having had sufficient access to PPE (OR 0.50; 0.30-0.83)., Conclusion: This study describes the profile of the HCWs who were infected during the first wave of the pandemic in Montréal. Recommendations include collecting comprehensive sociodemographic data on SARS-CoV-2 infections and ensuring equitable access to infection prevention and control training and PPE during health crises, particularly those at highest risk of exposure., (© 2023. The Author(s) under exclusive license to The Canadian Public Health Association.)

Background: Canada received 22,873 asylum seekers in 2006. The screening of specific health problems in this population seems warranted. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of pathologies that were screened at the PRAIDA health service in Montreal, and to identify associations with certain risk factors., Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on the files of patients who were screened between 2000 and 2004. Demographic and clinical information was compiled for computation of prevalence as well as multiple logistic regression analysis., Results: Of the 289 files reviewed, 56.7% are for male and 43.3% for female patients, with a mean age of 34 years; 53% are Asians and 38% Africans. 59.4% of subjects received a psychiatric diagnosis (mainly depression and post-traumatic stress disorder). The paraclinical work-up showed: 20.3% anaemia, 9% eosinophilia, 29.7% HBcAb+, 5% HBsAg+, 1.5% hepatitis C (RNA+), 2.5% HIV+ and 45.9% TST+. 10.5% of stool samples contained a pathogen, and serologies for strongyloidiasis and schistosomiasis were positive in 17.3% and 3.9% of samples respectively. Significant associations included female gender with anaemia, African origin with rates of HBcAb and TST+, age with HBcAb and hepatitis C positivity, longer length of stay in Canada with eosinophilia and strongyloidiasis, shorter length of stay with HBcAb, and Asian origin with psychiatric disorders., Conclusions: This study suggests that the prevalence of screened pathologies as part of the PRAIDA health service work-up are high in this population and therefore warrant continuation of their screening until guidelines are constituted.