The Challenge of Preventing COVID-19 Spread in Correctional Facilities
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Social distancingtominimizetransmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is virtually impossible in correctional facilities, whose residents live in close confinement, share toiletsandshowers, and typically sit shoulder-to-shoulder in mess halls.
TheCenters for Disease ControlandPrevention (CDC) notes that peoplewhoare incarcerated or detained in a particular facility often come from a variety of locations, increasing the chance of introducingCOVID- 19. Plus, options to isolate people with COVID-19 are usually limited, and many facilities restrict access to soapandpaper towels and ban alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
In addition, incarcerated individuals are more likely than the general population to haveunderlyingillnesses,suchas cancer, diabetes, or substance use disorder, that increase their risk ofdevelopingsevereCOVID- 19, saidDaniel Lopez Acuña,MD, MPH,who helped craft new COVID-19 guidelines for prisons and jails for theWorld Health Organization (WHO).
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