COVID-19 reinfection rates high among people who are homeless, Toronto study says

A homeless person is seen in downtown Toronto, on Wednesday, January 3, 2018. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov)

New research published today says people who are homeless have high rates of COVID-19 reinfection.

The St. Michael's Hospital study found homeless people in Toronto who had COVID-19 were more than twice as likely to be reinfected as people who had housing.

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Lead author Lucie Richard says people who are homeless are more exposed to the virus through crowded living conditions such as shelters.

They are also more likely than the general public to have underlying health conditions that make them more vulnerable to illness.

Richard says repeated COVID-19 infections could also make homeless people more susceptible to long COVID.

The study is published in the BMC Infectious Diseases journal.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2024