Potential Impact of COVID-19 on Recently Resettled Refugee Populations in the United States and Canada: Perspectives of
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Potential Impact of COVID‑19 on Recently Resettled Refugee Populations in the United States and Canada: Perspectives of Refugee Healthcare Providers Sarah K. Clarke1 · Gayathri S. Kumar2 · James Sutton3 · Jacob Atem4 · Anna Banerji5 · Mahli Brindamour6 · Paul Geltman7 · Najah Zaaeed8 Accepted: 1 October 2020 © Crown 2020
Abstract Recently resettled refugee populations may be at greater risk for exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a virus that causes coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), and face unique challenges in following recommendations to protect their health. Several factors place resettled refugees at elevated risk for exposure to persons with COVID-19 or increased severity of COVID-19: being more likely to experience poverty and live in crowded housing, being employed in less protected, service-sector jobs, experiencing language and health care access barriers, and having higher rates of co-morbidities. In preparing for and managing COVID-19, resettled refugees encounter similar barriers to those of other racial or ethnic minority populations, which may then be exacerbated by unique barriers experienced from being a refugee. Key recommendations for resettlement and healthcare providers include analyzing sociodemographic data about refugee patients, documenting and resolving barriers faced by refugees, developing refugee-specific outreach plans, using culturally and linguistically appropriate resources, ensuring medical interpretation availability, and leveraging virtual platforms along with nontraditional community partners to disseminate COVID-19 messaging. Keywords Resettled refugee · COVID-19 · Recommendations · Resettlement · Primary care · Health disparities · Culturally and linguistically appropriate services · Healthcare access · Language and cultural barriers Recently resettled refugee populations may be at greater risk for exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), and face unique challenges in following recommendations to protect their health. Data on the prevalence of COVID-19 among resettled refugee Disclaimer: The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. * Sarah K. Clarke [email protected] 1
populations in the United States and Canada are currently lacking. While there is a lack of data on refugees, recently resettled refugees have several risk factors that place them at elevated risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 or severe illness from COVID-19, such as being more likely to experience poverty and live in crowded housing, being employed in less protected, service-sector jobs, experiencing language and health care access barriers, and having higher rates of 5
Society of Refugee Healthcare Providers, Pediatrics and Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Society of Refugee Healthcare Providers, 134 Douglas Glen Park SE, Calgary, AB
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