The social impact of the stigma attached to Sars-CoV-2 (Atena Editora)

Abstract

In the last 2 years, the world has started to live as a hostage to the COVID-19 disease caused by the new Coronavirus (SARS-Cov-2), in which it has apparently flu-like symptoms. However, the surprise is that the real impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic go beyond millions of deaths around the world. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a methodology tool, we used a theoretical framework compiled from recent cataloged databases in PuBmed, Scielo, using the keywords COVID-19; Health; marginalized populations; quality of life. The results found show that the recent crisis has affected all sectors of human life, however, social minorities are the most affected by this situation, since they continued on the sidelines of an unfair and unequal system. The shortcomings that were already serious are exacerbated even more in the midst of the humanitarian, global, economic and health crisis that the world has been experiencing in recent months. After all, this disease lurks in society and affects all those with whom it comes into contact, but in different ways. For example, those who do not have a significant income are often unable to protect themselves from SARS-CoV-2 infection, and are more vulnerable. Thus, in the midst of a global crisis, disadvantaged communities are vulnerable to the joint action of SARS-Cov-2 and existing social conditions. Therefore, they end up presenting factors that increase the severity and mortality of COVID-19, since, at each step, ethnic and social inequalities can develop through social and economic mechanisms that have biological effects. The global crises involving infectious agents have equal probabilities of infection, however, in a local context, they unequally affect population subgroups, but mainly those who are in working conditions of high exposure to the virus, with precarious or non-existent housing and psychosocial determinants. According to Article XXV of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing, medical care and the indispensable social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, illness, disability, old age or other loss of livelihood in circumstances beyond their control”. In view of this scenario, we can conclude at this moment that the real practice of this standard of living proposed by the Declaration is a utopia, even though it is guaranteed to everyone on paper, and with that, the meaning of quality of life results in the question, therefore, about the impact that different socioeconomic levels can have on everyday life in the face of the post-COVID-19 pandemic scenario.