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Background: Population-based studies characteris-ing outcomes of COVID-19 in European settings are limited, and effects of socio-economic status (SES) on outcomes have not been widely investigated. Aim: We describe the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 cases, highlighting incidence and mortal-ity rate differences across SES during the first wave in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Methods: This popula-tion-based study reports individual-level data of lab-oratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases diagnosed from 24 February to 4 May 2020, notified to the Public Health Agency of Barcelona and followed until 15 June 2020. We analysed end-of-study vital status and the effects of chronic conditions on mortality using logistic regression. Geocoded addresses were linked to basic health area SES data, estimated using the composed socio-economic index. We estimated age-standard-ised incidence, hospitalisation, and mortality rates by SES. Results: Of 15,554 COVID-19-confirmed cases, the majority were women (n = 9,028; 58%), median age was 63 years (interquartile range: 46-83), 8,046 (54%) required hospitalisation, and 2,287 (15%) cases died. Prevalence of chronic conditions varied across SES, and multiple chronic conditions increased risk of death (>= 3, adjusted odds ratio: 2.3). Age-standardised rates (incidence, hospitalisation, mortality) were high-est in the most deprived SES quartile (incidence: 1,011 (95% confidence interval (CI): 975-1,047); hospitali-sation: 619 (95% CI: 591-648); mortality: 150 (95% CI: 136-165)) and lowest in the most affluent (inci-dence: 784 (95% CI: 759-809); hospitalisation: 400 (95% CI: 382-418); mortality: 121 (95% CI: 112-131)). Conclusions: COVID-19 outcomes varied markedly across SES, underscoring the need to implement effec-tive preventive strategies for vulnerable populations.

Background The contacts of people with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) have a high risk of becoming infected and developing tuberculosis (TB). Our aim was to determine the incidence of TB and its risk factors in a cohort of contacts with latent TB infection (LTBI) detected through contact tracing of smear-positive PTB cases. Methods and findings We performed a population-based retrospective cohort study including contacts that had LTBI, and were contacts of people with PTB who started treatment between 2008 and 2014. We followed up contacts until they developed TB or until the end date for follow-up (31st December 2016). We used Kaplan-Meier curves to compute incidence at 2 and 5 years, and Cox regression to compute hazard ratios (HR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI). We analyzed 3097 close contacts of 565 PTB cases. After exclusion of 81 coprevalent TB cases, 953 contacts had LTBI, of which 14 developed TB. Their risk of developing TB after two and five years was 0.7% (CI: 0.3-1.6) and 1.8% (CI: 1.1-3.1) respectively. Contacts who had not been referred for LTBI treatment had a 1.0% (CI: 0.24.0) risk at 5 years. Risk of developing TB at 5 years was 1.2% (CI: 0.5-3.0) among people who completed treatment, and 11.1% (CI: 5.1-23.3) for those who did not. Risk factors for TB were not completing LTBI treatment (HR 9.4, CI: 2.9-30.8) and being female (HR 3.5, CI: 1.1-11-3). Conclusions LTBI treatment plays a fundamental role in decreasing the risk of developing TB. It is necessary to achieve a maximum contact tracing coverage and the highest possible compliance with LTBI treatment.

Objectives Young people are a critical target group for sexually transmitted infections (STI) surveillance due to their particular behavioural and social related vulnerability. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological characteristics and trends in the incidence of gonorrhoea, syphilis, HIV and venereal lymphogranuloma (LGV) among 15-24-year-olds in Barcelona, and to determine factors associated with HIV coinfection. Design We performed a population-based incidence study covering the 2007-2015 period. Participants All new cases of STI-HIV, gonorrhoea, infectious syphilis and LGV-notified to the epidemiological surveillance system in Barcelona between 2007 and 2015. 1218 cases were studied: 84.6% were men, 19.3% were 15-19 years old and 50.6% were born in Spain. Among men, 73.7% were men who have sex with men (MSM); among women, 85.6% were women that have sex with men. Primary and secondary outcomes Incidence of HIV, gonorrhoea, infectious syphilis and LGV. HIV coinfection. Results There was an increase in the incidence of gonorrhoea, from 1.9 cases per 10 000 people in 2007 to 7.6/10 000 in 2015 (p10 sexual partners (ORa=4.11, 95% CI 1.53 to 11.01) or STI diagnosis during the previous 12 months (ORa=2.06; 95% CI 1.13 to 3.77). Conclusions The incidence of gonorrhoea and syphilis among 15-24-year-olds increased, while HIV infection remained stable but with a high incidence among MSM. Being MSM, having sex with multiple partners and having a diagnosis of an STI in the previous 12 months were factors associated with HIV coinfection.

In this pilot study we present the results obtained in the analysis of two microcorpora about oral narrative in Spanish carried out by two cultural and language different populations, the Italian and the English one, taking into account Labov’s sociolinguistics and pragmatics postulates. The work consisted in analyzing 4 of the 6 sequential units, that according to Labov, in 16 recordings, constitute the narrative sequence. The main aim of the study is to find out differences and similarities in the communicative structures, as well as modality and strategies that the informants (Italian and English ele university students), used to narrate the content of a silent movie passage.

ObjectivesYoung people are a critical target group for sexually transmitted infections (STI) surveillance due to their particular behavioural and social related vulnerability. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological characteristics and trends in the incidence of gonorrhoea, syphilis, HIV and venereal lymphogranuloma (LGV) among 15–24-year-olds in Barcelona, and to determine factors associated with HIV coinfection.DesignWe performed a population-based incidence study covering the 2007–2015 period.ParticipantsAll new cases of STI—HIV, gonorrhoea, infectious syphilis and LGV—notified to the epidemiological surveillance system in Barcelona between 2007 and 2015. 1218 cases were studied: 84.6% were men, 19.3% were 15–19 years old and 50.6% were born in Spain. Among men, 73.7% were men who have sex with men (MSM); among women, 85.6% were women that have sex with men.Primary and secondary outcomesIncidence of HIV, gonorrhoea, infectious syphilis and LGV. HIV coinfection.ResultsThere was an increase in the incidence of gonorrhoea, from 1.9 cases per 10 000 people in 2007 to 7.6/10 000 in 2015 (p10 sexual partners (ORa=4.11, 95% CI 1.53 to 11.01) or STI diagnosis during the previous 12 months (ORa=2.06; 95% CI 1.13 to 3.77).ConclusionsThe incidence of gonorrhoea and syphilis among 15–24-year-olds increased, while HIV infection remained stable but with a high incidence among MSM. Being MSM, having sex with multiple partners and having a diagnosis of an STI in the previous 12 months were factors associated with HIV coinfection.