Monitoring for COVID-19 by universal testing in a homeless shelter in Germany: a prospective feasibility cohort study.

ABSTRACT: 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

SUBMITTER: Lindner AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8665323 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature