The global spread of covid-19 has generated aggressive medical and public health responses, including testing, screening, contact tracing, social distancing, travel restrictions, and orders to stay at home when sick or exposed. Yet many members of society have reason to distrust public health systems. Containment, mitigation, and suppression plans must be as inclusive as possible or risk undermining response efforts. A commitment to inclusion means responding to covid-19 in a way that is sensitive to our most vulnerable communities, including homeless people, those without adequate insurance or employment, communities of colour, indigenous communities, immigrant communities, people with disabilities, and certain frontline healthcare workers and emergency responders.
Trust begins with communication, and communicating information during outbreaks is challenging, especially as our knowledge of disease evolves. Inclusive messaging should be tailored and available in a variety of languages, including sign languages. Honest, transparent communication is vital; confusing or contradictory health messaging engenders mistrust and leads people to seek information from unreliable alternative sources. Underserved communities are rightly distrustful of public health institutions: communities of colour and people with disabilities have historically been undertreated or abused through the medical system, and undocumented immigrants fear punitive measures should they present at a clinic or hospital.
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