• Sarah K Clarke, Gayathri S Kumar, James Sutton, Jacob Atem, Anna Banerji, Mahli Brindamour, Paul Geltman, and Najah Zaaeed.
• Society of Refugee Healthcare Providers, 134 Douglas Glen Park SE, Calgary, AB, T2Z 3Z3, Canada. sarah@refugeesociety.org.
• J Immigr Minor Health. 2021 Feb 1; 23 (1): 184-189.

AbstractRecently 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.

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