Caring for COVID's most vulnerable victims: a safety-net hospital responds.
Res Sq
; 2020 Oct 26.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-903185
Preprint
This scientific journal article is probably based on a previously available preprint. It has been identified through a machine matching algorithm, human confirmation is still pending.
See preprint
This scientific journal article is probably based on a previously available preprint. It has been identified through a machine matching algorithm, human confirmation is still pending.
See preprint
ABSTRACT
Background:
As COVID-19 surged in people experiencing homelessness, leaders at Boston Medical Center (BMC), New England's largest safety-net hospital, developed a program to care for them.Aim:
Provide an opportunity for COVID-infected people experiencing homelessness to isolate and receive care until no longer contagiousSetting:
A decommissioned hospital building.Participants:
COVID-infected people experiencing homelessness Program Description Care was provided by physician volunteers and furloughed staff. Care focused on allowing isolation, managing COVID-19 symptoms, harm-reduction interventions, and addressing problems related to substance use and mental illness. Program evaluation Among 226 patients who received care, 65% were referred from BMC. Five percent were transferred to the hospital for a complication that appeared COVID-related. There were no deaths, but 7 patients had non-fatal overdoses. Seventy-nine % had at least one diagnosis of mental illness, and 42% reported actively using at least one substance at the time of admission. Thirty % had at least one mental health diagnosis plus active substance use.Discussion:
This hospital-based COVID Recuperation Unit was rapidly deployed, provided safe isolation for 226 patients over 8 weeks, treated frequent SUD and mental illness, and helped prevent the hospital's acute-care bed capacity from being overwhelmed during the peak of the COVID-19 epidemic.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
Topics:
Long Covid
Language:
English
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
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