COVID-19 Variant Supplement – The COVID‑19 Pandemic Among Sexual and Gender Marginalized Populations in Canada: Physical Distancing Impacts, SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence, and Health and Wellness Needs
Physical distancing may have especially negative effects on marginalized communities such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, Two-Spirit, and other sexual and gender marginalized people (LGBTQ2+). LGBTQ2+ people are more networked socially and sexually compared with other groups. LGBTQ2+ also experience other health inequities such as cardiovascular disease, poorer mental health, and more substance use that may result in greater COVID‑19 impacts. This study will determine how COVID‑19 impacts LGBTQ2+ people across Canada. We will conduct an online survey of LGBTQ2+ people. Our findings will inform future public health action for LGBTQ2+ people to avoid unintended consequences such as intimate partner and family/domestic violence, anxiety, and depression. Participants will also be mailed a kit to collect a few blood drops to test for COVID-19. This approach may be an important tool for future COVID‑19 testing, especially among rural, remote, and Indigenous communities.
