If the individuals you are interacting with are amenable, please offer to share with them the following tips to protect them from COVID-19. 

Clean hands: CDC recommends washing one’s hands for 20 seconds, which is about as long as the happy birthday song twice. You can carry water and liquid soap and paper cups for individuals to wash their hands. Or give them a squirt of hand sanitizer. Hand washing might be nearly impossible for homeless people at this time, so your help is crucial. Giving out gloves as part of the care bags is also an option. Wash your own hands as frequently as you can while doing outreach. 

Masks: The CDC strongly recommends wearing masks as they have been shown to curb transmission by blocking respiratory droplets from traveling onto other entities. You can pack disposable masks to include in your care kits. You can even make your own mask from extra fabric you have at home. Inform homeless individuals to have both their nose and mouth fully covered and to avoid adjusting the mask as much as possible to prevent contamination. You should also be practicing these safety measures yourself during outreach. 

Social distancing: We know from the CDC that transmission of COVID-19 is most common in cases where people are in close proximity. Remind homeless individuals to always keep at least six feet of distance between themselves and others. And please do so with them.

Clean surfaces: If you have non-alcoholic disinfectants and paper towels, share them so that the homeless individuals can wipe down their belongings. 

Symptoms: Ask individuals if they are experiencing any COVID-like symptoms, including fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. You can point them to free walk-in testing sites in the area if necessary. If they have severe symptoms, offer to call 9-1-1 for them. Your help can go a long way in keeping homeless people safe against the virus. These efforts, and the simple fact of spending your time with people, can also give them some relief and community during this tough time.

• – Clean hands: Wash hands with soap and water, or hand sanitizer for 20 seconds.
•  
• – Masks: Cover both nose and mouth fully. Avoid adjusting the mask as much as possible to prevent contamination.
•  
• – Social distancing: Keep at least 6 feet of distance between self and others.
•  
• – Clean surfaces: Wipe down belongings with wipes whenever possible.
•  
• – Symptoms: Flu-like symptoms including fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Visit a walk-in testing facility or call 911 in emergencies.