Not the great equalizers: Covid-19, 1918–20 influenza, and the need for a paradigm shift in pandemic preparedness

Mamelund, Svenn-Erik; Dimka, Jessica

doi:10.1080/00324728.2021.1959630

Cited by 20 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 103 publications

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“…Indeed, age is the strongest risk factor for severe outcomes of COVID-19. Within age groups, however, persons with underlying medical risk factors, people of lower socioeconomic status, immigrants, ethnic minorities, and Indigenous peoples are at higher risk of infection, hospitalization, and death across these pandemics and epidemics, demonstrating a need for intersectional analyses and preparedness responses [ 1 ].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Indigenous peoples and pandemics

Alves¹,

Mamelund²,

Dimka³

et al. 2022

Scand J Public Health

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confidence: 99%

Indigenous peoples and pandemics

Alves¹,

Mamelund²,

Dimka³

et al. 2022

Scand J Public Health

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“…However, social and ethnic vulnerability including indigenous status was not taken into account when designing these recommendations. Indeed, a 2017 review of pandemic preparedness plans across nations revealed that the risk groups for vaccination were based on medical conditions without regard to social risks ( Mamelund, 2017 ; Mamelund and Dimka, 2021 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating COVID-19 transmission and mortality differences between indigenous and non-indigenous populations in Mexico

Dahal

Mamelund²,

Luo

et al. 2022

International Journal of Infectious Diseases

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“…Most of the identified studies did not explicitly aim to investigate sex disparities but instead typically included these analyses as part of broader descriptions of pandemic impacts. This lack of focus on sex‐ and gender‐based determinants of outcomes may be due to an assumption that pandemic respiratory diseases are indiscriminate (Mamelund & Dimka, 2021 ), so males and females are at equal risk. However, a consistent trend across pandemics suggests that, although there is variability, males most often have more severe outcomes.…”

Section: Evidence Of Morbidity and Mortality Disparitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, SES is by itself a major topic in health and disease studies. Mamelund and Dimka ( 2021 ) recently reviewed disparities based on SES during the 1918 influenza and COVID‐19, and discussed how SES and other social factors including socially constructed race and ethnicity should be considered in the context of pandemic preparedness. Further, Nyland et al ( 2015 ) suggested that disentangling the contributions of ethnicity and SES to influenza outcomes is a future research challenge.…”

Section: Evidence Of Morbidity and Mortality Disparitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pandemics, past and present: The role of biological anthropology in interdisciplinary pandemic studies

Dimka¹,

Doren

Battles

2022

American Journal of Biological Anthropology

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Biological anthropologists are ideally suited for the study of pandemics given their strengths in human biology, health, culture, and behavior, yet pandemics have historically not been a major focus of research. The COVID‐19 pandemic has reinforced the need to understand pandemic causes and unequal consequences at multiple levels. Insights from past pandemics can strengthen the knowledge base and inform the study of current and future pandemics through an anthropological lens. In this paper, we discuss the distinctive social and epidemiological features of pandemics, as well as the ways in which biological anthropologists have previously studied infectious diseases, epidemics, and pandemics. We then review interdisciplinary research on three pandemics–1918 influenza, 2009 influenza, and COVID‐19–focusing on persistent social inequalities in morbidity and mortality related to sex and gender; race, ethnicity, and Indigeneity; and pre‐existing health and disability. Following this review of the current state of pandemic research on these topics, we conclude with a discussion of ways biological anthropologists can contribute to this field moving forward. Biological anthropologists can add rich historical and cross‐cultural depth to the study of pandemics, provide insights into the biosocial complexities of pandemics using the theory of syndemics, investigate the social and health impacts of stress and stigma, and address important methodological and ethical issues. As COVID‐19 is unlikely to be the last global pandemic, stronger involvement of biological anthropology in pandemic studies and public health policy and research is vital.

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Not the great equalizers: Covid-19, 1918–20 influenza, and the need for a paradigm shift in pandemic preparedness

Cited by 20 publications

References 103 publications

Indigenous peoples and pandemics

Indigenous peoples and pandemics

Investigating COVID-19 transmission and mortality differences between indigenous and non-indigenous populations in Mexico

Pandemics, past and present: The role of biological anthropology in interdisciplinary pandemic studies

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