The UN’s Framework for the Immediate Socio-Economic Response to
the COVID 19 Crisis warns that “The COVID-19 pandemic is far more
than a health crisis: it is affecting societies and economies at their core.
While the impact of the pandemic will vary from country to country, it will
most likely increase poverty and inequalities at a global scale, making
achievement of SDGs even more urgent.
The COVID-19 outbreak affects all segments of the population and is particularly detrimental to
members of those social groups in the most vulnerable situations, continues to affect populations,
including people living in poverty situations, older persons, persons with disabilities, youth, and
indigenous peoples. Early evidence indicates that that the health and economic impacts of the virus
are being borne disproportionately by poor people. For example, homeless people, because they may
be unable to safely shelter in place, are highly exposed to the danger of the virus. People without
access to running water, refugees, migrants, or displaced persons also stand to suffer
disproportionately both from the pandemic and its aftermath – whether due to limited movement,
fewer employment opportunities, increased xenophobia etc.
If not properly addressed through policy the social crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic may also
increase inequality, exclusion, discrimination and global unemployment in the medium and long
term. Comprehensive, universal social protection systems, when in place, play a much durable role in
protecting workers and in reducing the prevalence of poverty, since they act as automatic stabilizers.
That is, they provide basic income security at all times, thereby enhancing people’s capacity to
manage and overcome shocks
Social stress caused by lockdown has many faces and reasons resulting
from travelling restrictions and disruption of cultural celebrations, limited
healthcare facilities and interruption in regular immunisations in hospitals
leading to anxiety and fear among the population, social distancing with
friends and family, closure of places of entertainment and leisure,
unplanned closure of schools and colleges affecting both students and
parents regarding the academic year and the loss of quality education.
Inadequate infrastructure, leading to ill-equipped healthcare employees
who are fighting endlessly to treat patients and protect themselves from
infection at the same time are all quite visible. This major loss and
unpreparedness is an aftermath of the negligence of healthcare sector
since years. Incapacitated hospitals and distressed primary healthcare are
significant reasons behind so much distress among the people for a
disease which could be prevented with a little care and precaution.
The issue of migrant workers was one of the most cruel and highlighted
issue in this pandemic where millions were rendered unemployed and
stranded without money, food and shelter, criss-crossing the country’s
highways to return to their villages and several meeting with accidents
and deaths on their way. Unemployment has rendered a large section as
directionless, leaving the social health as well as economy in shambles.
Several forms of racism triggered the division among the people of India
and other global counterparts. The stigma of religious hatred, caste based
discrimination and stigmatisation of people from the North East is equally
dangerous to humanity where the less informed and biased media as well
as people with vested interests tried to damage the social fabric of the
country and left a big social impact in the fight against coronavirus.
Reports of racism against the Chinese and other Asians elsewhere around
the world and calling it a Chinese virus due to its origin, showed the
deteriorated levels of sensitivity among the world population. Realising
that viruses such as COVID-19 do not have race, nationality, or boundary
is very important.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world in many ways. Of the
several implications on humanity, the issues of health, the rapid decline of
economy, shortage of medicines, sanitizers, masks, and other essentials,
poverty, unemployment has undoubtedly taken centre stage and each has
left a mark on the lives of people
