AUTHOR=Ogbonna Obianuju , Bull Francesca , Spinks Bethany , Williams Denitza , Lewis Ruth , Edwards Adrian 

TITLE=The Impact of Being Homeless on the Clinical Outcomes of COVID-19: Systematic Review

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 68 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2023.1605893

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2023.1605893

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=The impact of being homeless on the outcomes of COVID-19 is uncertain. We aimed to analyse the impact of experiencing homelessness on the clinical outcomes of COVID-19. A systematic review protocol was registered in PROSPERO (registration 2022 CRD42022304941). Nine databases were searched in November 2022 to identify studies on homeless populations with primary research on outcomes of COVID-19: incidence, hospitalisation, mortality, long COVID, mental wellbeing. Included studies were summarised with narrative synthesis. The searches yielded 8233 initial hits; after screening, 41 studies were included. Overall, evidence showed that those in crowded living settings had a higher risk of COVID-19 infection compared to rough sleepers and general populations. The homeless population had higher rates of hospitalisation and mortality than the general population, lower vaccination rates, and suffered negative mental health impacts. This systematic review shows the homeless population is more susceptible to COVID-19 outcomes. Further research is needed to determine the actual impact of the pandemic on this population, and of interventions to mitigate overall risk, given the low certainty of findings from some of the low-quality evidence available.