Article by Melissa Perri, Naheed Dosani and Stephen Hwang. Vol. 192, Issue 26. Canadian Medical Association Journal.
June 29, 2020.
Infectious disease epidemics and pandemics have a disproportionate impact on people experiencing poverty, marginalization, stigmatization and discrimination. Amid the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, this disparity is particularly relevant for individuals who experience homelessness. Homeless shelters are an ideal environment for transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) because of shared living spaces, crowding, difficulty achieving physical distancing and high population turnover. People who are homeless also have a high prevalence of chronic health conditions that increase the risk of poor outcomes if they develop COVID-19.
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