REFLECTIVE ESSAY 

HOW HAS THE COVID-19 CRISIS AFFECTED VULNERABLE

POPULATIONS?

MIMANSA KALA

ACADEMIC WRITING 

PROF. MICHAEL BURNS

FLAME UNIVERSITY

HOW HAS THE COVID-19 CRISIS AFFECTED VULNERABLE

POPULATIONS?

One morning I get up seeing COVID-19 news all over the newspapers
and news channels. News says the villainous corona virus killing lakhs of
people. The world has come to a standstill and our lives have turned
upside down. All of a sudden I got a feeling of seeing a horror movie
because in my wildest dreams also I won't have imagined that a phase
would come when it would be a complete lockdown all over the world
and we would be prisoners in our own house.

The COVID- 19 pandemic affected different people in different ways.

Some people had lost their jobs, and due to an increase in
unemployment and various other reasons, they experienced loneliness
and loss, yet, others discovered new things about themselves or
learned new hobbies (MUSC Center for Global Health). The people who
have been hit the hardest by this crisis are the vulnerable population,
and the COVID-19 crisis is exacerbating structural inequalities in
society. 
 During the prior pandemics, we have seen that vulnerable populations
are at a higher risk of presenting with more severe illness. Despite
these lessons, we in medicine continue to face incredible challenges
protecting the most vulnerable; we are seeing these same inequities
during COVID-19. There are many vulnerable groups, including but not
limited to racial/ethnic minorities, immigrants/refugees, those who are
socioeconomically disadvantaged, disabled, children, the elderly,
underinsured, from rural communities, incarcerated, facing domestic
violence, LGBTQ+, and with a certain medical condition. The stay at
home orders during lockdown affected many countries putting lower-
wage earners or essential workers who are unable to work from home
among the most vulnerable.
Early evidence indicates that the health and economic impacts of the
virus are being borne disproportionately by poor people(Everyone
Included: Social Impact of COVID-19 | DISD). For example, homeless
people because they may be unable to get a proper shelter for
themselves and as a result, they are highly exposed to the danger of the
virus people without access to running water, migrants, refugees, or
displaced people also stand to suffer disproportionately both from the
pandemic and its aftermath whether due to limited movement,
increased xenophobia, fewer employment opportunities, etc.(Everyone
Included: Social Impact of COVID-19 | DISD) 
If the social crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic is not
appropriately addressed through policies, it may also increase
discrimination, inequality, exclusion, and global unemployment in the
medium and long term. 
I would like to highlight some examples of vulnerable sections which
are affected by COVID 19
OLDER PEOPLE
Older persons are more prone to the risk of infection from COVID-19,
especially those with chronic health conditions such as diabetes,
cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, etc. Older people are less
capable of supporting themselves in isolation and are suffering from
more significant health risks. One of the main guidelines for reducing
the disease's spread is; social distancing, which is very necessary. If it is
not implemented correctly, it can also lead to increased social isolation
of older persons when they, in general, need support. Older people are
also facing discrimination in the services given to them because people
of younger generations are given more priority over them.
 
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
People with disabilities have been facing challenges during good times
too but the pandemic has added on to their challenges. People with
disabilities have been facing challenges like accessibility, affordability,
healthcare services due to lack of availability as well as discrimination
and stigma.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
Indigenous peoples are vulnerable at this time due lack of access to
essential services, absence of culturally appropriate healthcare, and, if
any, under-equipped and under-staffed local medical facilities.
The first point of prevention is the dissemination of information in
indigenous languages, thus ensuring that services and facilities are
appropriate to the specific situation of indigenous peoples, and all are
reached(Everyone Included: Social Impact of COVID-19 | DISD).
The large number of indigenous peoples who further contributes to
vulnerability are outside of the social protection system particularly if
they are dependent on income from the broader economy handicrafts,
produce , employment, and tourism in urban areas. In this regard,
Governments should ensure that indigenous peoples and other
vulnerable groups are included in interim financial support measures.
So to protect the vulnerable populations from the effects of COVID-19
social care should be better integrated into health care for the
vulnerable population to connect them with needed social and
economic services.
  
Word count- 788 words                                    

 WORKS CITED
"MUSC Center for Global Health." International Student COVID-19
Essay Writing Competition | MUSC Center for Global Health,
globalhealth.musc.edu/blog/international-student-covid-19-essay-
writing-competition.
"Everyone Included: Social Impact of COVID-19 | DISD." United Nations,
United Nations, www.un.org/development/desa/dspd/everyone-
included-covid-19.html.