Abstract
Latinx seasonal farmworkers are essential workers and are at elevated risk for SARS-CoV-2 in the United States. Risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 are unique to this population and include crowded living conditions, isolated social networks, and exploitative working environments. The circumstances and cultural values of Latinx seasonal farmworkers pose a unique challenge to public health authorities working to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2. This community is in dire need of urgent public health research to identify opportunities to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission: social network methods could be the solution. Using previously collected and new information provided by a team of experts, this commentary provides a brief description of Latinx seasonal farmworker disparities that affect tracking and treating SARS-CoV-2 in this important group, the challenges introduced by SARS-CoV-2, and how social network approaches learned from other infectious disease prevention strategies can address these disparities.
Highlights
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has devastated entire communities, especially those already suffering from healthcare disparities due to structural racism in healthcare systems [1]
Using previously collected and new information provided by a team of experts, we present a case example of how a marginalized group such as Latinx seasonal farmworkers have had increasing health disparities because of SARS-CoV-2, which may affect pandemic tracking, treatment, and promoting
We presented a social network approach that has been successful in engaging Latinx seasonal farmworkers for HIV prevention: why reinvent the wheel for SARS-CoV-2? Instead, we believe that social network approaches can highly engage underserved communities for SARS-CoV-2 interventions and understand the mental health implications that result from the stressors and situations caused by the pandemic
Summary
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has devastated entire communities, especially those already suffering from healthcare disparities due to structural racism in healthcare systems [1]. The goal of this commentary is to outline challenges to pandemic tracking, treatment, and acceptance of vaccination among Latinx seasonal farmworkers and to explore how social network approaches have been successfully utilized among this community and may be tailored as a strategy to overcome the aforementioned challenges. The authors present this commentary for a global audience to consider how social networkbased approaches may have utility in developing health programs for marginalized groups during periods of hardship such as the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic
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