Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has the potential for rapid transmission in congregate settings. We describe the multidisciplinary response to an outbreak of coronavirus ...disease (COVID-19) in a large homeless shelter in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The response to the outbreak included 4 rounds of mass PCR testing of all staff and residents and subsequent isolation of persons who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. We further describe the dynamics of the shelter outbreak by fitting a modified susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered compartmental model incorporating the widespread SARS-CoV-2 testing and isolation measures implemented in this shelter. Our model demonstrates that rapid transmission of COVID-19 in the shelter occurred before the outbreak was detected; rates of transmission declined after widespread testing and isolation measures were put in place. Overall, we demonstrate the feasibility of mass PCR testing and isolation in congregate settings and suggest the necessity of prompt response to suspected COVID-19 outbreaks in homeless shelters.
Living conditions in homeless shelters facilitate the transmission of COVID-19. Social determinants and pre-existing health conditions place homeless people at increased risk of severe disease. ...Described outbreaks in homeless shelters resulted in high proportions of infected residents and staff members. In addition to other infection prevention strategies, regular shelter-wide (universal) testing for COVID-19 may be valuable, depending on the level of community transmission and when resources permit.
This was a prospective feasibility cohort study to evaluate universal testing for COVID-19 at a homeless shelter with 106 beds in Berlin, Germany. Co-researchers were recruited from the shelter staff. A PCR analysis of saliva or self-collected nasal/oral swab was performed weekly over a period of 3 weeks in July 2020. Acceptability and implementation barriers were analyzed by process evaluation using mixed methods including evaluation sheets, focus group discussion and a structured questionnaire.
Ninety-three out of 124 (75%) residents were approached to participate in the study. Fifty-one out of the 93 residents (54.8%) gave written informed consent; thus 41.1% (51 out of 124) of all residents were included in the study. Among these, high retention rates (88.9-93.6%) of a weekly respiratory specimen were reached, but repeated collection attempts, as well as assistance were required. Around 48 person-hours were necessary for the sample collection including the preparation of materials. A self-collected nasal/oral swab was considered easier and more hygienic to collect than a saliva specimen. No resident was tested positive by RT-PCR. Language barriers were the main reason for non-participation. Flexibility of sample collection schedules, the use of video and audio materials, and concise written information were the main recommendations of the co-researchers for future implementation.
Voluntary universal testing for COVID-19 is feasible in homeless shelters. Universal testing of high-risk facilities will require flexible approaches, considering the level of the community transmission, the available resources, and the local recommendations. Lack of human resources and laboratory capacity may be a major barrier for implementation of universal testing, requiring adapted approaches compared to standard individual testing. Assisted self-collection of specimens and barrier free communication may facilitate implementation in homeless shelters. Program planning must consider homeless people's needs and life situation, and guarantee confidentiality and autonomy.
During the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, infected patients presented with symptoms similar to bacterial pneumonias and were treated with antibiotics before confirmation of a bacterial or ...fungal co-infection. We reasoned that wastewater surveillance could reveal potential relationships between reduced antimicrobial stewardship, specifically misprescribing antibiotics to treat viral infections, and the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in an urban community. Here, we analyzed microbial communities and AMR profiles in sewage samples from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and a community shelter in Las Vegas, Nevada during a COVID-19 surge in December 2020. Using a respiratory pathogen and AMR enrichment next-generation sequencing panel, we identified four major phyla in the wastewater, including Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria. Consistent with antibiotics that were reportedly used to treat COVID-19 infections (e.g., fluoroquinolones and beta-lactams), we also measured a significant spike in corresponding AMR genes in the wastewater samples. AMR genes associated with colistin resistance (mcr genes) were also identified exclusively at the WWTP, suggesting that multidrug resistant bacterial infections were being treated during this time. We next compared the Las Vegas sewage data to local 2018–2019 antibiograms, which are antimicrobial susceptibility profile reports about common clinical pathogens. Similar to the discovery of higher levels of beta-lactamase resistance genes in sewage during 2020, beta-lactam antibiotics accounted for 51 ± 3 % of reported antibiotics used in antimicrobial susceptibility tests of 2018–2019 clinical isolates. Our data highlight how wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) can be leveraged to complement more traditional surveillance efforts by providing community-level data to help identify current and emerging AMR threats.
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•Wastewater surveillance provides information about AMR markers during a COVID-19 surge•Sequencing data reveal AMR genes relating to fluoroquinolone and beta-lactam resistance in wastewater•AMR genes associated with colistin resistance can be identified at WWTPs•Wastewater analysis of AMR levels can help fill public health surveillance gaps
We investigate the ways in which homeless shelters in the United States differ along several important dimensions. To this end, we interview managers from nine different homeless shelters across the ...United States to discover new and innovative ways of operating or structuring shelters. We especially focus on how three goals of homeless shelters - efficacy, adequate financing, and providing dignity to those who are served by shelters - differ both in their theoretical conception and in their practical application. Finally, we describe four models of homeless shelters ranging from a "bare bones" model to one that incorporates re-housing services.
Over four thousand portable air cleaners (PACs) with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters were distributed by Public Health - Seattle & King County to homeless shelters during the COVID-19 ...pandemic. This study aimed to evaluate the real-world effectiveness of these HEPA PACs in reducing indoor particles and understand the factors that affect their use in homeless shelters. Four rooms across three homeless shelters with varying geographic locations and operating conditions were enrolled in this study. At each shelter, multiple PACs were deployed based on the room volume and PAC's clean air delivery rate rating. The energy consumption of these PACs was measured using energy data loggers at 1-min intervals to allow tracking of their use and fan speed for three two-week sampling rounds, separated by single-week gaps, between February and April 2022. Total optical particle number concentration (OPNC) was measured at 2-min intervals at multiple indoor locations and an outdoor ambient location. The empirical indoor and outdoor total OPNC were compared for each site. Additionally, linear mixed-effects regression models (LMERs) were used to assess the relationship between PAC use time and indoor/outdoor total OPNC ratios (I/OOPNC). Based on the LMER models, a 10 % increase in the hourly, daily, and total time PACs were used significantly reduced I/OOPNC by 0.034 95 % CI: 0.028, 0.040; p < 0.001, 0.051 95 % CI: 0.020, 0.078; p < 0.001, and 0.252 95 % CI: 0.150, 0.328; p < 0.001, respectively, indicating that keeping PACs on resulted in significantly lower I/OOPNC. The survey suggested that keeping PACs on and running was the main challenge when operating them in shelters. These findings suggested that HEPA PACs were an effective short-term strategy to reduce indoor particle levels in community congregate living settings during non-wildfire seasons and the need for formulating practical guidance for using them in such an environment.
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•The impacts of air cleaner on particle levels in homeless shelters were studied.•The link between air cleaner usage and I/O particle count ratio was modeled.•Higher air cleaner usage time was associated with a lower I/O particle count ratio.•Air cleaners are effective in reducing indoor particle levels in homeless shelters.•Guidance development on using air cleaners in congregate settings is warranted.
There are well-established relationships between health and homelessness, and shelters can facilitate the transmission of diseases and contribute to their prevention. Adequate environmental health ...conditions and hygiene behaviors in homeless shelters are fundamental to the health of their clients, a marginalized population. We report the status of environmental health conditions and hygiene behaviors in homeless shelters and associated health outcomes; interventions to improve these conditions, behaviors, and outcomes; and obstacles to improvement.
PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and EBSCOhost were searched for peer-reviewed studies, and additional sources for grey literature. Studies were included if they reported primary data on one or more environmental health condition or hygiene behavior in homeless shelters.
Twenty-eight studies were included in the review. Insufficient ventilation systems, unhygienic bedding, and overcrowding were the most documented environmental health and hygiene deficiencies in homeless shelters, and tuberculosis infections and skin diseases were the most documented associated health outcomes among clients. Studies frequently recommended or described implementation of behavioral and administrative controls, ventilation system improvements, and ultraviolet germicidal irradiation fixtures.
Most studies addressed airborne transmission of tuberculosis and were conducted in high-income countries, revealing an imbalance in the literature. Insufficient resources and the transience of clients are barriers to improving hygiene behaviors and environmental conditions in homeless shelters. Further investment and research into ensuring adequate hygiene and environmental health in this setting can protect and promote the health and well-being of people experiencing homelessness.
•This review describes environmental health and hygiene in homeless shelters.•Inadequate ventilation, unhygienic bedding, and overcrowding were often documented.•TB and skin diseases were the most documented health outcomes among clients.•Some studies described or recommended behavioral and administrative interventions.•Insufficient resources and transience of clients impede shelter improvements.
Rhinovirus (RV) is a common cause of respiratory illness in all people, including those experiencing homelessness. RV epidemiology in homeless shelters is unknown.
We analyzed data from a ...cross-sectional homeless shelter study in King County, Washington, October 2019-May 2021. Shelter residents or guardians aged ≥3 months reporting acute respiratory illness completed questionnaires and submitted nasal swabs. After 1 April 2020, enrollment expanded to residents and staff regardless of symptoms. Samples were tested by multiplex RT-PCR for respiratory viruses. A subset of RV-positive samples was sequenced.
There were 1066 RV-positive samples with RV present every month of the study period. RV was the most common virus before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (43% and 77% of virus-positive samples, respectively). Participants from family shelters had the highest prevalence of RV. Among 131 sequenced samples, 33 RV serotypes were identified with each serotype detected for ≤4 months.
RV infections persisted through community mitigation measures and were most prevalent in shelters housing families. Sequencing showed a diversity of circulating RV serotypes, each detected over short periods of time. Community-based surveillance in congregate settings is important to characterize respiratory viral infections during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
NCT04141917.
Introduction: Patients who are users of homeless shelters interact with EMS and Emergency Departments (ED) as means of accessing the healthcare system. Patients in this population are known to have ...chronic health conditions as well as being frequent users of EMS. In this study, we researched how patients living at a homeless shelter experienced EMS. Methods: A phenomenological qualitative approach methodology was used to interview individuals at the largest homeless shelter in Omaha, Nebraska in 2017. Data was transcribed then coded for thematic analysis. Results: Eighteen adult individuals participated with four major themes emerging: Frequency and Medical Histories, Perceived Positive Experiences, Perceived Negative Experiences, and Awareness of EMS. Professionalism and being non-judgmental toward a homeless shelter user appeared to best describe the difference between a positive EMS experience from a negative one. Patients of this population have an awareness and appreciation to the role of EMS. They are also aware and recognize overuse of EMS by others and biases from EMS towards patients of this population. There are recognized opportunities to improve the relationship and role of EMS with patients using homeless shelters and services. Conclusion: Support for increased EMS awareness, research, and relationship building with homeless shelter users and shelters is needed.
This short report describes the role that family physicians (FPs) (and family medicine registrars) played to provide care for the homeless people in shelters (both temporary and permanent) during the ...coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown in the City of Tshwane, South Africa. The lockdown resulted in the establishment of a large number of temporary shelters. The FPs took on the task to provide comprehensive and coordinated primary care, whilst extending their activities in terms of data management, quality improvement, capacity building and research. The FPs worked in teams with other healthcare providers and contributed a unique set of skills to the process. This report demonstrates the value of responding quickly and appropriately through communication, cooperation and innovation. It also demonstrates the large number of areas in which FPs can make a difference when engaged appropriately, with the necessary support and collaboration, thus making a positive impact in the already overburdened health services.
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