Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

April 26, 2021

Assessment of Contact Tracing for COVID-19 among People Experiencing Homelessness, Salt Lake County Health Department, March-May 2020

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  • A study comparing person-based contact tracing for SARS-CoV-2 among people experiencing homelessness (PEH) compared to the general population in Utah between March and May 2020 found that PEH were more likely to be lost to follow-up at the end of isolation (14%), provided fewer contacts per case (0.31), and their contacts were more often unreachable (13% vs. 7%). The authors suggest that contract tracing among PEH should employ location-based approaches, which focus on asking a person with COVID-19 where they have been, along with a person-based approach when possible.

Fields et al. (Apr 2021). Assessment of Contact Tracing for COVID-19 among People Experiencing Homelessness, Salt Lake County Health Department, March-May 2020. Annals of Epidemiology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2021.04.002