The risk of infection and death from COVID-19 is higher among older prisoners with pre-existing health conditions especially in sub-Saharan African. Hawks L et al . raise four concerns that need to be considered when developing public health and clinical responses to COVID-19 to protect prisoners. This paper applies these concerns to the sub-Saharan African context. These focus areas include 1) challenges of social distancing; 2) higher risk of severe infection and death; 3) difficulties health care systems may face in the case of COVID-19 surge; and 4) recommended solutions to prevent harm and preventing a public health catastrophe. Prisoners are more vulnerable and the time to take immediate actions to minimize an imminent COVID-19 outbreak and its impacts is now.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, 2019-nCoV, Novel coronavirus, sub-Saharan African countries, prisoners, 【초록키워드】 public health, Severe infection, COVID-19 outbreak, African, Impact, death, Health care system, risk of infection, Older, clinical response, higher risk, health condition, Prevent, raise, PROTECT, include, Hawk, Prisoner, 【제목키워드】 African,