Home Is Where the Health Is
Written by Emily Tseng
Edited by Christine Yee
March 21, 2022
Edited by Christine Yee
March 21, 2022
Everyone remembers the stifling cabin fever during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic as we isolated ourselves at home. No matter how much of a homebody you were, everyone was desperate to leave the confines of their house and do something normal—even grocery shopping became an exciting adventure. For some people, however, being able to isolate at home was a luxury they did not have. A recent research paper has highlighted the unique vulnerabilities that people experiencing homelessness face when combatting COVID-19, and the challenges that arise when trying to mitigate these issues.
Perri et al. states that not only are individuals experiencing homelessness more likely to contract SARS-CoV-2, they are also at an increased risk of having a more severe disease course of COVID-19. With unsafe housing situations, even in shelters and drop-in facilities, individuals experiencing homelessness are unable to properly physically distance or isolate themselves. Transmission is further exacerbated by barriers to healthcare access and public health services, which hinders early detection of cases. Furthermore, the homeless population is typically an older demographic with other underlying conditions that can increase their susceptibility to developing severe COVID-19.
With these risk factors in mind, public health officials have endeavored to find ways to slow down the spread of SARS-CoV-2 among individuals experiencing homelessness. Such solutions involve allowing for better physical distancing and isolation, including the opening of new shelters, increasing spacing between shelter beds, and relocating individuals experiencing homelessness into hotels and motels. However, the implementation of these services can be challenging. Physical distancing measures can be particularly detrimental to individuals of this community who also experience mental health or substance abuse issues, owed to decreased social interactions and closure of vital counseling and supervised consumption services, respectively. In addition, individuals experiencing homelessness are disproportionately affected by financial burdens resulting from physical distancing requirements, such as the inability to engage in sex work or adhere to physical distancing orders, with the latter leading to hefty fines.
Recognizing that the homeless population is particularly vulnerable to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is a crucial component when addressing public health and COVID-19 mitigation strategies. More funding and awareness is needed to implement effective change for this community, but most importantly, we must realize that housing is a key social determinant of health, and learn to appreciate the safety and security it affords.