LAUSR

By the end of December 2019, a new severe respiratory syndrome was identified in Wuhan, China (1). In a couple of months, the SARS-CoV-2 disease (COVID-19) was declared as a public health emergency by the WHO (2). COVID-19 has a broad spectrum of features, such as fever, cough, and dyspnea, while less common symptoms are fatigue, headache, anosmia, ageusia, skin rash, and gastrointestinal symptoms (3–5). A higher risk of disseminated intravascular coagulation and venous thromboembolism has also been described (6). Regarding severity and mortality, different factors have been studied, such as old age (age >65 years), as well as people with preexisting cardiological or cerebrovascular diseases (7–9). The global health emergency caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection appears unstoppable all over the world, showing a wide spectrum of symptoms, with millions of people being infected and with a very high and unpredictable number of deaths. The spread of the coronavirus certainly does not stop in front of the prison walls and this setting appears at high risk for SARS-CoV-2 infections, given the restricted condition and overcrowding. Furthermore, incarcerated people are highly vulnerable to coronavirus infection due to their high rates of acute and chronic health disorders, as well as the possibility of less environmental hygiene (10, 11). This makes this environment one of the most important challenges for infection control. More tailored interventions are needed to avoid the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in penitentiary institutes.