Homeless man treated for coronavirus released back on the streets
A homeless man in Texas who tested positive for the coronavirus is back on the streets after being treated at a local hospital for the infection, according to a report.
The unidentified man was diagnosed with COVID-19 at St. Joseph’s Medical Center last week, KHOU 11 reported.
“St. Joe’s had him in the ICU for several days and now he’s been released and unfortunately, they released him to the streets,” Tommy Thompson, CEO of the nonprofit Open Door Mission in East Houston, told the outlet.
Local homeless advocates were aware of the man and attempted to find him a place to stay, but he was instead released with nowhere to go, the outlet reported.
Now he could be putting countless others at risk, Thompson said.
“It spreads so quickly,” he said. “You look at the encampments that are all around town, you know one person gets it, they’re all going to get it.”
A hospital spokeswoman told the outlet that the facility is “following the guidelines put in place by the CDC and the Houston Health Department for treatment and discharge of any suspected COVID-19 patient.”
Still, Harris County officials told the outlet they are trying to prevent situations like this one.
“We have been planning for a scenario where we have to house folks that test positive,” a spokesman for the Harris County Office of Emergency Management told the outlet. “Certainly the case at St. Joseph’s brought that to the forefront.”
“Right now, we have some folks that have tested positive that are homeless that are in hotels, so that’s the approach we are taking now,” he added.
Officials are also looking into possible housing options for people — not just the homeless — needing a place to quarantine away from family.
The Open Door Mission has agreed to give at least nine of its beds to the county — with the option to expand to 28 — for homeless people who are recovering from the coronavirus and other conditions.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/03/24/homeless-man-treated-for-coronavirus-released-back-on-the-streets/
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