Two people experiencing homelessness have been confirmed to be infected with the new coronavirus after being tested at the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless clinic in Denver.
Cathy Alderman, the coalition's vice president of communications and public policy, said the results were received Thursday and that the two were among 80 people tested at the nonprofit's clinic, at 2130 Stout St. About 40 results are still pending.
Because the two met criteria to be tested -- which include having symptoms or having been in contact with someone who was infected -- they had been given hotel rooms to stay in while they awaited their test results, Alderman said.
"We're still checking in with them, making sure they're OK," she said.
The coalition has been working with the city to secure rooms in hotels for people experiencing homelessness and others who need to be isolated because of the coronavirus.
People experiencing homelessness are not more likely than others to contract COVID-19, the potentially fatal disease caused by the coronavirus. But underlying health conditions and the stress of being unhoused means they would be especially hard hit if they fell ill.
