August 6, 2021
A University of Washington study of 1,434 residents and staff at 14 adult and family homeless shelters in King County showed the need for routine viral testing outside of clinical settings for those experiencing homelessness. It also showed that people in shelters may be at greater risk for outbreaks due to overcrowding and shared bathrooms.
The study, conducted from January through April 2020, began as an “offshoot” of the November 2019 Seattle Flu Study conducted at homeless shelters. That study researched the trial of onsite testing and treatment to manage flu outbreaks in a setting where they could easily spread.
Read the summary from UW Medicine here, and the study itself in the Annals of Internal Medicine.