Washington D.C., Mar 10, 2020 / 16:00 pm
As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads in the U.S., one Catholic organization is trying to protect a population that is particularly vulnerable to the spread of contagious illnesses-the city's homeless.
"One of the repercussions of being homeless is that those sorts of hygiene habits kind of go by the wayside," said Kim Cox, president of the Father McKenna Center in Washington, D.C. which ministers to homeless men in the area.
She noted that the center, which emphasizes community among the men who visit, also stresses personal hygiene - including good hand-washing practices - as part of a lifestyle as conducive as possible to good health.
"They need to stay healthy," Cox said, emphasizing the need for the homeless to avoid habits like drinking and drug use that could compromise their immune systems. "We can only just remind them of appropriate behavior and encourage them to take it on," she said.