COVID-19 burden among unaccompanied minors in United States custody.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, crowded and unsanitary living conditions lacking medical expertise made U.S. detention centers hotbeds for infectious disease outbreaks. There have been 30,000 COVID-19 cases, positivity rates exceeding 50%, and nine deaths in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, but the extent of disease among children under the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) has not been well-documented. We sought to evaluate the burden of COVID-19 among unaccompanied minors under the ORR's responsibility.

Methods

We analyzed SARS-CoV-2 testing results of refugees and asylum seekers in facilities associated with the ORR from 02/01/2020 to 11/18/2020, courtesy of a Freedom of Information Act request.

Results

ORR facilities per

SUBMITTER: Foppiano Palacios C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9384626 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature