A Community-Based Management of COVID-19 in a Mobile Container Unit

Authors

Elena Petrova
Timothy Farinholt
Tejas P Joshi
Hannah Moreno
Mayar Al Mohajer
Shital M Patel
Joseph Petrosino
Sharmila Anandasabapathy

Publication Date

11-19-2021

Journal

Vaccines

DOI

10.3390/vaccines9111362

PMID

34835293

PMCID

PMC8624920

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

11-19-2021

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-Print

Published Open-Access

yes

Keywords

mobile clinic, relocatable medical facility, underserved community, coronavirus, vaccination, infection control, decontamination

Abstract

Vaccine uptake is a multifactor measure of successful immunization outcomes that includes access to healthcare and vaccine hesitancy for both healthcare workers and communities. The present coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted the need for novel strategies to expand vaccine coverage in underserved regions. Mobile clinics hold the promise of ameliorating such inequities, although there is a paucity of studies that validate environmental infection in such facilities. Here, we describe community-based management of COVID-19 through a Smart Pod mobile clinic deployed in an underserved community area in the United States (Aldine, Harris County, TX, USA). In particular, we validate infection control and biological decontamination of the Smart Pod by testing surfaces and the air-filtration system for the COVID-19 virus and bacterial pathogens. We show the Smart Pod to be efficacious in providing a safe clinical environment for vaccine delivery. Moreover, in the Smart Pod, up-to-date education of community healthcare workers was provided to reduce vaccine hesitancy and improve COVID-19 vaccine uptake. The proposed solution has the potential to augment existing hospital capacity and combat the COVID-19 pandemic locally and globally.

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