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Chapter 13 - A Pandemic Not Just of Infection but of Inequality: The Social Impact of COVID-19

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 January 2024

By
Mara Aspinall  and
Liz Ruark
Edited by
Steven C. Schachter  and
Wade E. Bolton
Steven C. Schachter
Affiliation:
Harvard Medical School
Wade E. Bolton
Affiliation:
VentureWell/Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx)
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Summary

It is hard to fully encompass or articulate the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on society in the USA and around the world. From the early days of denial, through waves upon waves of cases and deaths, to the sad recognition that we do not yet know when the era of COVID-19 will end, the last few years have been a tragedy on multiple dimensions. Of course, the pandemic also shed light on the heroes among us, and many groups and organizations rose to the occasion. Work-from-home arrangements flourished, potentially changing the world of work forever. Digital innovations abounded. The reduction in traffic, and thus pollution, gave the planet a chance to breathe. And, in many countries, faith in the public sector was restored as governments responded rapidly on many fronts, from public health to the preservation of incomes for households and offering a lifeline of support to businesses. In this chapter, we focus on some of the most significant impacts of COVID-19 on US society, including many of the social ills it exposed, from income inequality and inequitable access to health care to the untenable burdens placed on public health workers.

Keywords

pandemic preparednesssocial inequitieshealth-care workersvirtual learningpublic healthessential workerseducational impactlong COVIDhealth-care messagingtelehealth
Type
Chapter
Information
Accelerating Diagnostics in a Time of Crisis
The Response to COVID-19 and a Roadmap for Future Pandemics
 , pp. 250 - 262
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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