The social impact of COVID-19

The social impact of COVID-19

We face a global health crisis more than ever in the 75-year history of the United Nations. It means killing people, spreading human suffering, and improving people's lives. But this is more than a health crisis. It is a human, economic, and social crisis. Coronavirus (COVID-19), characterized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an epidemic, is attacking societies at their core.

The outbreak of COVID-19 affects all segments of the population and is especially detrimental to members of those social groups, especially those at risk, and continues to affect the population, including the elderly, the disabled, the young, and the indigenous. Public. Early evidence suggests that the health and economic impact of the virus is disproportionately borne by poor people. For example, homeless people are severely exposed to the risk of the virus because they may not be able to secure shelter. People who do not have access to water, refugees, migrants, or the displaced are also disproportionately affected by the epidemic and its consequences - limited mobility, reduced employment opportunities, increased fears.

The social crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic can increase inequality, exclusion, discrimination, and global unemployment in the medium to long term if policies are not properly addressed. When comprehensive, universal social security systems are in place, they play a more durable role than protecting workers and reducing the prevalence of poverty. That is, they always provide basic income security, which increases people's ability to manage and overcome trauma.

Many governments have called on the youth to embrace the effort to protect themselves and the overall population. Youth are also in a position to help those who are most vulnerable and to aid in increasing public health social awareness campaigns among their communities. Thus, youth are critical to limiting the virus’s spread and its impact on public health, society, and the economy at large.

In terms of employment, youth are disproportionately unemployed, and those who are employed often work in the informal economy or gig economy, on precarious contracts or in the service sectors of the economy, that are likely to be severely affected by COVID-19.