Table 1. Demographics, job practices and COVID-19 mitigation measures of homeless shelter workers (N = 106).
| Demographics | Number (%+) | Job practices, mitigation measure and attitudes | Number (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geographic location | Any mask use at work # | ||
| GA | 16 (15.1) | Most/all of the time | 91 (85.8) |
| Boston, MA | 33 (31.1) | Sometimes | 11 (10.4) |
| Baltimore, MD | 2 (1.9) | Rarely/never | 1 (0.9) |
| Salt Lake City, UT | 25 (23.6) | Frequency of close contact with clients ** | |
| Seattle, WA | 30 (28.3) | A few times a day | 34 (32.1) |
| Age | A few times a week | 12 (11.3) | |
| 21–30 years old | 23 (21.7) | A few times a month | 10 (9.4) |
| 31–40 years old | 28 (26.4) | Rarely | 2 (1.9) |
| 41–50 years old | 24 (22.6) | Never | 46 (43.4) |
| >50 years old | 31 (29.2) | Frequency of direct physical contact with clients *** | |
| Sex | A few times a day | 12 (11.3) | |
| Male | 35 (33.0) | A few times a week | 10 (9.4) |
| Female | 65 (61.3) | A few times a month | 4 (3.8) |
| Gender identity | Rarely | 13 (12.3) | |
| Male | 38 (35.8) | Never | 65 (61.3) |
| Female | 64 (60.4) | Frequency of close contact with coworkers ** | |
| Non-Binary | 2 (1.9) | A few times a day | 61 (57.5) |
| Race/Ethnicity | A few times a week | 12 (11.3) | |
| Non-Hispanic White | 55 (51.8) | A few times a month | 11 (10.4) |
| Non-Hispanic Black | 26 (24.5) | Rarely | 15 (14.2) |
| Non-Hispanic Other | 6 (5.7) | Never | 7 (6.6) |
| Hispanic | 15 (14.2) | Cleaning activities as part of normal job | |
| BMI ≥ 30 | Yes | 60 (56.6) | |
| Yes | 39 (36.8) | If yes, trained on cleaning for SARS-CoV-2 | 34/60 (56.7) |
| No | 56 (52.8) | No | 43 (41.8) |
| Smoking | Mitigation measure implemented by facility | ||
| Current smoker/vaper | 23 (21.7) | Increased handwashing | 88 (83.0) |
| Past smoker | 22 (20.8) | Safe distancing (≥6 ft) | 82 (77.4) |
| Received flu vaccine this year | Masks for staff/clients | 97 (91.5) | |
| Yes | 67 (63.2) | Provision of PPE for staff | 80 (75.5) |
| No | 38 (35.9) | No measures implemented | 1 (0.9) |
| Any underlying conditions ^ | Agree with organization’s response to COVID-19 | ||
| Yes | 30 (28.3) | Yes | 67 (63.2) |
| No | 71 (67.0) | No | 14 (13.2) |
| Chronic lung disease | Don’t Know | 12 (11.3) | |
| Yes | 15 (14.2) | Worried about being infected with SARS-CoV-2 due to job | |
| No | 86 (81.1) | Yes | 80 (75.4) |
| Has paid sick leave | If yes, thought about quitting due to COVID-19 | 19/80 (23.8) | |
| Yes | 96 (90.6) | No | 21 (19.8) |
| No | 6 (5.7) | Family supportive of worker’s job | |
| Primary job duties | Yes | 87 (82.1) | |
| Administrative | 43 (40.6) | No | 9 (8.5) |
| Client engagement | 63 (59.4) | Family worried about worker being infected due to job | |
| Has formal health education * | Yes | 83 (78.3) | |
| Yes | 30 (28.3) | No | 19 (17.9) |
| No | 73 (68.9) | Worker worried about family being infected due to worker’s job | |
| Have another job | Yes | 66 (62.3) | |
| Yes | 18 (17.0) | No | 38 (35.9) |
| No | 86 (81.1) | ||
| Length of employment | |||
| 0–6 months | 20 (18.9) | ||
| 7–12 months | 21 (19.8) | ||
| 13–36 months | 25 (23.5) | ||
| 37–60 months | 14 (13.2) | ||
| >60 months | 23 (21.7) |
+May not sum to 100% in some categories due to missing data.
*For example, nursing, medicine, or emergency medical technician.
**Close contact = within 6 feet for ≥15 minutes.
***Direct physical contact = touching.
^Chronic lung disease, High blood pressure, chronic kidney or liver disease, diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease.
#Disposable or reusable mask.