Thread by @mega_pindang71

High SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in persons experiencing homelessness and shelter workers from a day-shelter in São Paulo, Brazil
. 1/n

#covid in #homelessness ppl & #shelter #workers #Brazil

journals.plos.org/plosntds/artic…

Serum samples, nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs of persons who are homeless and shelter workers collected from August 25th-27th, 2020 were tested for the presence of anti-SC2 IgM and IgG antibodies by ELISA and SARS-CoV-2 RNA by RT-qPCR, respectively. 2/n

All swab samples tested negative by RT-qPCR.
Seropositivity in homeless ppl IgM 5/203 (2.5%) and IgG 111/203 (54.7%)
and in shelter workers IgM 5/87 (5.7%) and IgG 41/87 (47.1%).
3/n

Active tobacco smoking status in individuals who are homeless was associated with a lower (protective) prevalence of SC2 abs.
Another finding was the fact that dog ownership by individuals who are homeless was identified as a protective factor against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
4/n

The homeless population herein showed complex health histories, particularly associated with infectious diseases (HIV, syphilis, and tuberculosis).
Black shelter workers herein presented higher likelihood of being seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 than white shelter workers, 5/n

as previously shown that Black ppl were at ⬆️ risk of C19 than whites.
At the time of the study (Aug 2020), both homeless & social worker pplations showed no active SC2 infection, indicating that they were likely exposed smtime within the pandemic’s 1st peak in the city. 6/end