Pandemic Planning in Homeless Shelters: A Pilot Study of a Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Testing and Support Program to Mitigate the Risk of COVID-19 Outbreaks in Congregate Settings

Timothy O'Shea; Claire Bodkin; Vaibhav Mokashi; Kerry Beal; Jill Wiwcharuk; Robin Lennox; Dale Guenter; Marek Smieja; David Bulir; Sylvia Chong

doi:10.1093/cid/ciaa743

Pandemic Planning in Homeless Shelters: A Pilot Study of a Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Testing and Support Program to Mitigate the Risk of COVID-19 Outbreaks in Congregate Settings

Clin Infect Dis. 2021 May 4;72(9):1639-1641. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciaa743.

Authors

Timothy O'Shea¹, Claire Bodkin², Vaibhav Mokashi³, Kerry Beal⁴, Jill Wiwcharuk⁵, Robin Lennox⁵, Dale Guenter⁵, Marek Smieja⁶, David Bulir^{6

7}, Sylvia Chong⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton Shelter Health Network, Hamilton, Canada.
² Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
³ Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
⁴ Hamilton Shelter Health Network, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
⁵ Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton Shelter Health Network, Hamilton, Canada.
⁶ Department of Medicine, Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
⁷ Research Institute of St. Joe's Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Abstract

We tested 104 residents and 141 staff for coronavirus disease 2019 who failed daily symptom screening in homeless shelters in Hamilton, Canada. We detected 1 resident (1%), 7 staff (5%), and 1 case of secondary spread. Shelter restructuring to allow physical distancing, testing, and isolation can decrease outbreaks in shelters.

Keywords: coronavirus; homeless; outbreak; shelter; surveillance.

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Canada / epidemiology
Disease Outbreaks / prevention & control
Humans
Ill-Housed Persons*
Pandemics
Pilot Projects
SARS-CoV-2