Copy of Unidos En Salud | Mike Kai Chen

UNIDOS EN SALUD
"United in Health"

Mother Jones Magazine: The Grassroots Activists Who Protected San Francisco's Most Vulnerable - and the City - from COVID

Latinos today are disproportionally suffering from highest rates of infection within San Francisco (29% of cases vs 15% of demographic). The Latino Task Force for COVID-19 - a series of community groups within the Latino Cultural District of San Francisco has formed a partnership with UCSF Medical School to research and combat the disproportionate infection within the Latino community. The partnership is named Unidos en Salud.

As UCSF researchers hold the country's first mass testing study to understand viral spread within a one square mile radius of the Latino District, the Latino Taskforce engages the community with outreach, information, and resources. Residents tested positive are connected with community resources for food distribution, financial aid, and work opportunities.

As many Latinos have limited access to broadband for online information and hesitant to accept public resources, community outreach volunteers are essential to ensure an accurate representation of the Latinx community in the rapidly gentrifying city of San Francisco.

Unidos En Salud volunteer coordinator Lourdes Gomez-Rojas guides Latino community members lined up waiting to be tested at a free low barrier pop up COVID-19 test site in front of 24th Mission Bart Station.

Maria Del Prosario, a Latino Cultural District Mission resident with preexisting conditions or unable to leave their homes during quarantine is tested via mobile in-home services partnered with Unidos en Salud.

Marco Carballido, a volunteer with Unidos en Salud puts up a flier in the window of a local business notifying the Latinx community of free low barrier COVID-19 testing.

Raymundo Luna 76 waits for potential side effects after receiving his first dose of the Moderna Vaccine. Raymundo and his sister Lorea Luna had trouble securing a vaccination appointment with their hospital until hearing about the Unidos En Salud vaccination site on the radio.

Construction workers Marco Figueroa and Melitón Ruiz volunteer with Unidos En Salud outreaching to vulnerable Latino community members within the Mission district of San Francisco for free low barrier COVID-19 testing.

Unidos En Salud volunteer Glenda Cifuentes helps Aura Perez 64 register for the waitlist for her vaccination once the eligibility for her age group opens up.

Vivian Ho, a phlebotomist with BayPLS (Bay Phlebotomy Lab Services), prepares a dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine as a patient is checked in at the Unidos En Salud community low barrier vaccination site targeting the Mission community's hard hit Latino population.

Food is delivered regularly to a Latino Cultural District community member who is tested positive for COVID-19 and under a 2 week quarantine.

Anthony Herrera (age 10) is swabbed for COVID-19 while being coaxed by his grandmother and several medical volunteers during the country's first mass testing study by Unidos en Salud.

Initial results show that 95% of the 3000 residents tested positive within a one-mile radius of the Mission were Latino. Results by Socioeconomic factors show that 90% of those tested positive were unable to shelter in place due to work and 89% (tested positive) earn less than $50,000/year.

A service worker enters 16th Mission Bart station on his way to work after being tested for COVID19 at the pop up test site strategically placed around the station for commuters. The series of low barrier testing for essential workers is put on by Unidos en Salud - a partnership between UC San Francisco Medical School and Latino Task Force for COVID19. Marginalized Latino and Black communities suffer disproportionately from the highest rates of infection as they work essential jobs to keep the country running during quarantine.

Jon Jacobo, a key leader of the The Latino Taskforce for COVID-19 and San Francisco Department of Health workers meet to recap the day after blazing through close to 300 tests for Mission residents hurting from the Coronavirus pandemic. Every Thursday, the LTF provides testing, food distribution, and essential services such as employment and housing resources at the Mission Resource Hub. As San Francisco’s essential and service workers allowing the general population to quarantine.

Jon Jacobo, a leader of the Latino Task Force, welcomes San Francisco City Mayor London Breed to the Mission Latinx community's first mass vaccination site.

Jennifer Siataga canvasses throughout the Latino Cultural District using a megaphone to direct pedestrians toward free COVID19 low barrier test sites.

Patricia Lopez and Rosairio Rodriguez outreach throughout the hard hit Latino neighborhood putting up fliers notifying residents of free upcoming COVID-19 testing.

Construction worker Melitón Ruiz volunteers with Unidos En Salud outreaching to vulnerable Latino community members within the Mission district of San Francisco for free low barrier COVID-19 testing.

Maria Coronado, a volunteer with Unidos en Salud canvases throughout the Mission neighborhood putting up fliers notifying residents of free upcoming COVID-19 testing.

Fliers for free low barrier COVID-19 testing are placed at local laundromats targeting essential workers within the hard hit Latino community of San Francisco.

Maria Coronado and Alison Brokke outreach throughout the hard hit Latino neighborhood putting up fliers notifying residents of free upcoming COVID-19 testing.

Glenda Cifuentes, who works as a cashier in a restaurant, volunteers to put up fliers for encouraging essential workers within the Latino Cultural District of San Francisco to get free low barrier COVID-19 testing.

Glenda Cifuentes, an essential restaurant worker, outreaches within the hard hit Latino community passing out fliers encouraging fronline workers to attend low barrier testing.

Rafael Gonzalez, a vaccine researcher with the City of San Francisco volunteers as community outreach.

Rafael Gonzalez, an AIDS researcher with the City of San Francisco canvasses door-to-door urging and pre-registering residents in the Mission neighborhood of San Francisco for free mass COVID-19 testing.

Anderson Garcia Hidalgo looks out the gate of his family’s shared residence at the end of his family’s self quarantine in the Latino Cultural District of San Francisco. His mother’s partner was tested positive one month prior and has been supported by community programs such as testing, food deliveries, and medical care.

Miguel Garcia Hidalgo, a restaurant cook, caught COVID-19 in the beginning of the pandemic and was eventually furloughed as restuarants shut down. His five roommates including two children all tested postiive and relied on Unidos En Salud assistance for quarantine in hotel rooms and regular food delivery.

UNIDOS EN SALUD "United in Health"

UNIDOS EN SALUD
"United in Health"