COVID-19: Health inequalities, impacts and social protection support measures

Introduction: The pandemic of COVID-19 has generated an intense interest for research in social inequalities in health. Their existence, apart from the negative consequences that create for the function of the welfare state, causes variations in the health care provided. Impacts are therefore being made in the areas of social protection, although efforts are being made to implement relief measures by the government.

Purpose: This literature review deals with the existence and deterioration of health inequalities in combination with their impact on social protection and the newly established recovery measures in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Material-Method: From the analysis of the individual topics, a review was carried out from electronic databases of Pubmed, Elsevier, Lancet, as well as from books, websites and electronic journals through the free access provided by the internal network of the university. The keywords used in the search in Greek and English database were: health inequalities, factors affecting inequalities, deterioration of health inequalities, effects on social protection, social protection measures.

Results: Health inequalities have a dual character that affects both the level of health and health care. There are a variety of factors from biological, social to health system factors that seem to affect them. In addition, there is a deterioration of existing health inequalities as well as negative effects in various areas of social protection. However, several supportive measures have been put in place in the areas of unemployment protection, sickness protection, income protection, housing and welfare.

Conclusions: There was a deterioration of health inequalities and dysfunction of social protection. Nevertheless, the completion of the legislative framework of support in the fields of social protection was considered necessary.

Keywords: health inequalities, factors affecting inequalities, deterioration of health inequalities, effects on social protection, social protection measures