The public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic for people with disabilities

Coleen A Boyle, Michael H Fox, Susan M Havercamp, Jennifer Zubler, Coleen A Boyle, Michael H Fox, Susan M Havercamp, Jennifer Zubler

Abstract

With the rapidly changing landscape of the COVID-19 outbreak, how to best address the needs and continue to protect the health and well-being of people with disabilities (PwDs) is a global public health priority. In this commentary we identify three public health areas of ongoing need and offer possible strategies to address each. These areas include: the types of data that would help clarify risks for PwDs and help assure their safety long term; the prevention, treatment and mitigation measures for PwDs that are needed through the duration of the outbreak; and the issues of equity in access to and quality of medical care for PwDs. Because of the rapid nature of the public health response, it is critical to reassess and readjust our approach to best address the needs of PwDs in the months and years to come and to incorporate these new practices into future emergency preparedness responses.

Keywords: COVID-19; Disability; Emergency preparedness; Pandemic.

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest Coleen Boyle: no conflicts of interest or outside funding Michael Fox: no conflicts or outside funding Susan Havercamp: I do not have any conflicts of interest to disclose. I would like to acknowledge support from CDC: Susan Havercamp’s effort on this article was supported by the Cooperative Agreement Number, NU27DD000015-02, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Department of Health and Human Services. Jennifer Zubler: no conflicts of interest or outside funding

Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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