Coronavirus outbreak at California homeless shelter leads to 105 infections, CDC says
Nearly 100 residents and 10 staff members of a San Francisco homeless shelter tested positive for coronavirus in the first half of April, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study.
The shelter had the highest percentage of people testing positive for coronavirus in a sampling of 19 shelters in four states where the CDC conducted testing for the study.
The CDC sought to evaluate the prevalence of COVID-19 in homeless shelters, comparing shelters where there were known clusters of the disease versus those with a low number or no known cases.
It compared shelters with coronavirus outbreaks with other sites that did not have known cases or had only one reported case. The San Francisco shelter had a previously identified cluster before the CDC tests.
CDC officials tested 143 residents and 63 staff members of the San Francisco shelter between April 4 and April 15.
Of those, 95 residents and 10 staff members tested positive. The numbers of residents infected with coronavirus could be higher because some people declined to be tested, the report states.
A Boston shelter in the study had more coronavirus cases, but a lower percentage among its population of residents and staff.
The CDC’s report says the numbers demonstrate that all people at shelters with reported clusters should be tested, and that once testing becomes more widely available that shelters should consider more widespread testing before clusters are reported.
“Given the high proportion of positive tests in the shelters with identified clusters and evidence for presymptomatic and asymptomatic transmission of (COVID-19), testing of all residents and staff members regardless of symptoms at shelters where clusters have been detected should be considered,” the report says.
The CDC also recommended that shelters institute social distancing as much as possible, encouraging residents to wear face masks and sleep at least six feet apart. It says the homeless population is at particular risk for the novel coronavirus.
“Homeless shelters are often crowded, making social distancing difficult. Many persons experiencing homelessness are older or have underlying medical conditions, placing them at higher risk for severe COVID-19–associated illness,” the report states.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has emphasized protecting the homeless from coronavirus in his efforts to slow the spread of the outbreak. The state is renting almost 11,000 hotel rooms to help bring homeless people into housing where they can practice social distance.
Local city officials in places such as Sacramento have also contracted with local hotels, motels and RVs to provide housing to the homeless during the coronavirus outbreak.
This story was originally published April 22, 2020 at 11:07 AM with the headline "Coronavirus outbreak at California homeless shelter leads to 105 infections, CDC says."
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