Medical Student Research Forum Posters

As of 2019, there were 567,715 Americans without housing, and California reported the largest unhoused population in the country.1 In the past 2 years, the rate of unhoused people in California has risen 16%, which is the second highest in the country.1 Many reports have shown that the unhoused population is particularly vulnerable to infectious disease epidemics and pandemics due to lack of control of their surroundings, disproportionate resource allocation, and broken communication.2 While there have been many initiatives started to try and combat these inequities, there is little research about communication and the dissemination of information to the unhoused population.3 As the guidelines for COVID-19 are constantly changing, there is a need for a better system of communication within this vulnerable population to ensure that they receive timely, accurate updates to help reduce their risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19.