Don’t know about the rest of the East Cost but in our merry capital city the situation is very similar to what you describe: tents everywhere, camps along the Rock Creek, few steps from the Kennedy Center, under the K Street bridge, and everywhere...

Still, this is a parallel universe... sad - but their misery does not impact our daily lives. I am sure there are plenty of infectious diseases already but they are contained by the social isolation which is a big part of homelessness.