Home > COVID-19: a potential public health problem for homeless populations.

Tsai, Jack and Wilson, Michal (2020) COVID-19: a potential public health problem for homeless populations. The Lancet Public Health, 5, (4), DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(20)30053-0.

External website: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/...


Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is infecting people throughout the world. It is probable that coronavirus disease (COVID-19) will be transmitted to people experiencing homelessness, which will become a major problem in particular in North America where there are sizable populations of people experiencing homelessness in nearly every metropolitan city in the USA and Canada. In the USA, more than 500 000 people were reported to be experiencing homelessness on any given night over the past decade (2007–19).  People experiencing homelessness live in environments that are conducive to a disease epidemic. Many people experiencing homelessness live in congregate living settings—be it formal (ie, shelters or halfway houses) or informal (ie, encampments or abandoned buildings)—and might not have regular access to basic hygiene supplies or showering facilities, all of which could facilitate virus transmission......


See also, by Public Health England:

 - COVID-19: guidance for hostel or day centre providers of services for people experiencing rough sleeping - GOV.UK
Published 16 March 2020

 - COVID-19: residential care, supported living and home care guidance
Published 13 March 2020

 - COVID-19: guidance on social distancing and for vulnerable people
Published 16 March 2020

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