Health care disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

COVID-19, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2), has caused an international pandemic, with over 32 million cases and more than 500,000 deaths nationwide. With the significant health consequences seen secondary to COVID-19, healthcare disparities have been further exacerbated. Mechanisms that have been proposed to account for the increased disparity seen during the COVID-19 pandemic are multifactorial. This review of the literature outlines the unique barriers to health and disparities which are associated with vulnerable communities who have been most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

Global burden of the COVID-19 associated patient-related delay in emergency healthcare: a panel of systematic review and meta-analyses

“…Health disparities are a general term used to denote the differences, variations, and disparities in access to health of individuals or groups [ 129 ]. While some researches show that elderly [ 130 ], Black populations, rural communities, and incarcerated populations [ 129 ] might experience inequality in healthcare; our previous study about Afghan refugees in Iran as a minor ethnicity [ 131 ] show that the need for active patient identification and treatment has lead widespread diagnostic and therapeutic measures of COVID-19 for patients with any social, economic, and cultural backgrounds and now we are facing a different side of the health disparity. Because the world’s healthcare market has been shifted to COVID-19 healthcare, governmental interventions are required to cover services for all people with other diseases, therefore, the study of inequality can provide accurate and reliable information on how health services are distributed to health planners and policymakers can determine the population groups that use the emergency services the least.…”

Racial/ethnic and gender disparities of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in Texas

“…Socioeconomic inequities such as health care, community characteristics, economic stability and discrimination contribute to health disparities. [32] , [33] The impact of this complex interplay of factors has become more significant during the COVID-19 pandemic and requires a multi-level systemic response for meaningful change. 33 …”

Integrating trauma‐informed care into career counseling: A response to COVID‐19 job loss for Black, indigenous, and people of color

“…According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, SDOH are defined as community, work, and educational conditions that affect health outcomes ( 2020 ). Historically, BIPOC communities have experienced generations of systemic divestment, and large gaps of infrastructure and resources (Andraska et al., 2021 ). The inability to convert certain jobs to remote platforms, including positions for essential workers, increases the risk of individuals obtaining the COVID‐19 virus (Litam & Hipolito‐Delgado, 2021 ).…”