It is true that those who suffer from live in homelessness live lives that are conducive to spreading a virus. COVID-19 finds opportunity at job fairs, food banks, homeless shelters and wherever else large gatherings take place. Jack Tsai, writer for the UT Health School at University of Texas says, “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.” Tsai goes onto say that homeless people under 65 years old have an all-cause mortality rate that is 5-10 times higher than the general population and may be higher now with the spread of the COVID-19 virus. There is a lot of room for error right now, as more than 500,000 people live in poverty in this country and if these members of society are not provided what they need to succeed, there is the potential for easy spread of the COVID-19 virus. Our immediate community members need our support, so please, visit the link below to find out how to help.DONATE
Posted by: Austin Puetz, Portland State University
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