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Are the homeless more susceptible to the coronavirus?

Posted at 11:16 AM, Mar 10, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-10 12:16:46-04

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX — Concerns about the coronavirus have been sweeping the nation. With hygiene a major factor in contracting it, it begs the question if the homeless are more susceptible to getting the coronavirus.

KRIS 6 spoke to a few shelters around town, and they all had the same idea: not too worried, but taking precautions.

Mother Teresa Shelter says precautions are pretty simple, there are signs throughout the facility informing their clients to continuously wash their hands and cover their mouths when coughing.

"Basically wash your hands before you eat, before you brush your teeth or before you put anything in your mouth," Miles Mason said, "at least three times a day, at least three times."

Mason has been attending Mother Teresa Shelter for five years now, "it's always been like this, we've always been clean. Now that the coronavirus is out, it's ten times more aware of cleanliness."

Sister Rency at Mother Teresa Shelter says, they are continuing to inform clients of hand washing, using hand sanitizer, covering coughs. The shelter is also using bleach and disinfectant habitually while cleaning.

KRIS 6 also reached out to the City's Administrator of Homeless Services, Barton Bailey, "we've begun to discuss responses if Corpus Christi has any sort of outbreak that warrants further action. Until then we'll continue to follow the direction of the CDC and our local health department."