Our evidence maps provide a "lay of the land" and identify important gaps in knowledge about health disparities experienced by different Veteran populations.

Objective To evaluate participation in COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing in central Washington State between June 15 and July 12, 2020. Methods In this retrospective observational evaluation we combined SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR and antigen test reports from the Washington Disease Reporting System with community case investigation and contact tracing data for 3 health districts (comprising 5 counties) in central Washington State. All 3 health districts have large Hispanic communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Results Investigators attempted to call all referred individuals with COVID-19 (n = 4,987); 71% were interviewed. Of those asked about close contacts (n = 3,572), 68% reported having no close contacts, with similar proportions across ethnicity, sex, and age group. The 968 individuals with COVID-19 who named specific contacts (27% of those asked) reported a total of 2,293 contacts (mean of 2.4 contacts per individual with COVID-19); 85% of listed contacts participated in an interview. Conclusions Most individuals with COVID-19 reported having no close contacts. Increasing community engagement and public messaging, as well as understanding and addressing barriers to participation, are crucial for CICT to contribute meaningfully to controlling the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Yakima County, Washington, a rural county with an urban core suffered disproportionately under the conditions presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and summer wildfires of 2020. With an infection rate of over 700 per 100,000 population at the height of the pandemic, the county concurrently experienced 14 consecutive days of an air quality index in the unhealthy to hazardous range in August 2020. This paper examines the contributing socioeconomic, geographic, and environmental vulnerabilities that make Yakima County particularly susceptible to the continuum of expected COVID-19 disease and related outcomes and suggests comprehensive areas of investigation to mitigate its impact on special populations, including Hispanic-Latino communities, agricultural, food production, and other essential workers.

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