Introduction

SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus and the cause of COVID-19 (https://www.who.int/). There are currently 45 million individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 and over 1.2 million who have died worldwide.1 Of these, nine million cases and over 228 000 deaths have occurred in the USA.1 COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted individuals with comorbidities and of older age. Other social risk factors predicting vulnerability to COVID-19 include low socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity and occupational setting. There has been a higher number of COVID-19 cases and deaths among marginalised groups. Populations in the USA with a greater COVID-19 burden include African American/black and Hispanic/Latino communities. There are limited data on SARS-CoV-2 and sexual orientation and gender diversity. However, based on existing health disparities, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) community is also likely to be disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. A key component of addressing COVID-19 is diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2. However, approaches and models to implementing accessible SARS-CoV-2 testing, especially for vulnerable communities, have not been well described.

STIs also disproportionately affect underserved and marginalised communities, with 376 million new infections of curable STIs worldwide in 2016.2 In the USA, African American/black, Hispanic/Latino and LGBTQ+ individuals are at a greater risk for STIs due to proximal and distal social determinants of health, including economic stability, physical environments, social and community context, education, and healthcare access.3 Similarly, the impact of social determinants has worsened STI health outcomes among vulnerable populations across the world.3 Given the overlap in communities affected by COVID-19 and STIs, there are significant lessons to be learned from experiences with STI testing. We examine challenges related to COVID-19 testing and offer potential solutions derived from STI testing that may increase access for those most at risk and mitigate health disparities (figure 1).