COVID-19—break the cycle of inequality

Abstract

One of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic has been to illuminate far-reaching health and socioeconomic inequalities in many countries. The pandemic's impact has fallen disproportionately on the most vulnerable individuals and along racial, ethnic, occupational, and socioecomic lines. Inequalities in people's protection from and ability to cope with this pandemic and its tremendous societal costs stress the importance and urgency of the societal changes needed to protect population health and wellbeing in the future.