The review protocol is in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (Moher, Liberati, Tetzlaff, & Altman, 2009), and is essentially an update of the protocol (Hintermeier et al., 2020) of a previously published review on the topic (Hintermeier et al., 2021).
The search strategy is twofold. Firstly, we will use the database provided by the WHO of global literature on coronavirus disease (https://search.bvsalud.org/global-literature-on-novelcoronavirus-2019-ncov/advanced/?lang=en) comprising the following databases: MEDLINE via Ovid and PubMed, CAB Abstracts and Global Health via Ovid, Scopus, Academic Search Complete and Africa Wide Information and CINAHL via EBSCO, ProQuest Central (ProQuest), EuropePMC, China CDC MMWR, CDC Reports, Embase (Elsevier), Global Index Medicus, Web of Science, PubMed Central, ScienceDirect, Wiley Online and the preprint servers: bioRxiv, medRxiv, chemRxiv, SSRN. This database is daily-updated and comprises peer-reviewed literature, pre-prints, and grey literature in multiple languages. Additionally, we will also search the Cochrane Library using English search terms. Secondly, to identify grey literature, hand searches will be performed on the websites of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the European Public Health Association (EUPHA). The search covers the time from June 2020 (end date of previous review (Hintermeier et al., 2021)) until Nov 30, 2021. We will include English, German and Spanish articles for this review.
Broadly, all studies assessing the health effects of SARS-CoV-2 or corresponding policy measures among refugees and migrants are included. Specific outcomes are:
• Prevalence or incidence of infection with SARS-CoV-2;
• Prevalence or incidence of COVID-19;
• Evidence on transmissions, development of disease, risk of severe course of disease, hospitalisation, ICU utilization, ventilation, mortality;
• Effects of lock-down measures on the health status (regardless of outcome);
• Effects of specific policies/strategies enacted for refugees and migrants.
• Evidence on vaccination coverage and access to vaccination.