Reducing Inequities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Rapid Review and Synthesis of Public Health Recommendations

doi:10.3389/phrs.2021.1604031

Review

. 2022 Jan 17:42:1604031.

doi: 10.3389/phrs.2021.1604031. eCollection 2021.

Reducing Inequities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Rapid Review and Synthesis of Public Health Recommendations

Chloe Brown^{1

2}, Katie Wilkins^{1

2}, Amy Craig-Neil¹, Tara Upshaw¹, Andrew David Pinto^{1

3

4

5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Upstream Lab, MAP/Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
² Undergraduate Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
³ Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁴ Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁵ Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁶ Department of Family and Community Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.

PMID: 35140994
PMCID: PMC8802804
DOI: 10.3389/phrs.2021.1604031

Review

Reducing Inequities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Rapid Review and Synthesis of Public Health Recommendations

Chloe Brown et al. Public Health Rev. 2022.

. 2022 Jan 17:42:1604031.

doi: 10.3389/phrs.2021.1604031. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Chloe Brown^{1

2}, Katie Wilkins^{1

2}, Amy Craig-Neil¹, Tara Upshaw¹, Andrew David Pinto^{1

3

4

5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Upstream Lab, MAP/Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
² Undergraduate Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
³ Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁴ Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁵ Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁶ Department of Family and Community Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.

PMID: 35140994
PMCID: PMC8802804
DOI: 10.3389/phrs.2021.1604031

Abstract

Objectives: Efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic should take into account worsening health inequities. While many public health experts have commented on inequities, no analysis has yet synthesized recommendations into a guideline for practitioners. The objective of this rapid review was to identify the areas of greatest concern and synthesize recommendations. Methods: We conducted a rapid systematic review (PROSPERO: CRD42020178131). We searched Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases from December 1, 2019 to April 27, 2020. We included English language peer-reviewed commentaries, editorials, and opinion pieces that addressed the social determinants of health in the context of COVID-19. Results: 338 articles met our criteria. Authors represented 81 countries. Income, housing, mental health, age and occupation were the most discussed social determinants of health. We categorized recommendations into primordial, primary, secondary and tertiary prevention that spoke to the social determinants of COVID-19 and equity. Conclusion: These recommendations can assist efforts to contain COVID-19 and reduce health inequities during the pandemic. Using these recommendations, public health practitioners could support a more equitable pandemic response. Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO, CRD42020178131.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; health equity; prevention; public health; social determinants of health.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

**FIGURE 1**
PRISMA flow diagram (Systematic Review, Global, 2019-2020).

**FIGURE 2**
Graph of articles according to social determinant of health discussed (Systematic Review, Global, 2019-2020).

See this image and copyright information in PMC

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References

1. Keating D, Esteban C. Covid-19 Is Rapidly Becoming America’s Leading Cause of Death. Washington, DC: Washington Post [Internet] (2020). Available from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/04/16/coronavirus-leading-ca... (Accessed June 12, 2020)
1. World Health Organization. WHO Coronovirus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard (2020).
1. Montenovo L, Jiang X, Rojas FL, Schmutte IM, Simon KI, Weinberg BA, et al. Determinants of Disparities in COVID-19 Job Losses. Cambridge, MA: NBER Work Pap; (2020). p. 1689–99.
1. Douglas M, Katikireddi SV, Taulbut M, McKee M, McCartney G. Mitigating the Wider Health Effects of Covid-19 Pandemic Response. BMJ [Internet] (2020). Available from: http://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m1557.abstract. (Accessed June 12, 2020) 369m1557 - PMC - PubMed
1. Jones BL, Jones JS. Gov. Cuomo Is Wrong, Covid-19 Is Anything but an Equalizer. Washington Post [Internet] (2020). Available from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/04/05/gov-cuomo-is-wrong-cov... (Accessed June 12, 2020).

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[1] Keating D, Esteban C. Covid-19 Is Rapidly Becoming America’s Leading Cause of Death. Washington, DC: Washington Post [Internet] (2020). Available from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/04/16/coronavirus-leading-ca... (Accessed June 12, 2020)

[2] Keating D, Esteban C. Covid-19 Is Rapidly Becoming America’s Leading Cause of Death. Washington, DC: Washington Post [Internet] (2020). Available from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/04/16/coronavirus-leading-ca... (Accessed June 12, 2020)

[3] World Health Organization. WHO Coronovirus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard (2020).

[4] World Health Organization. WHO Coronovirus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard (2020).

[5] Montenovo L, Jiang X, Rojas FL, Schmutte IM, Simon KI, Weinberg BA, et al. Determinants of Disparities in COVID-19 Job Losses. Cambridge, MA: NBER Work Pap; (2020). p. 1689–99.

[6] Montenovo L, Jiang X, Rojas FL, Schmutte IM, Simon KI, Weinberg BA, et al. Determinants of Disparities in COVID-19 Job Losses. Cambridge, MA: NBER Work Pap; (2020). p. 1689–99.

[7] Douglas M, Katikireddi SV, Taulbut M, McKee M, McCartney G. Mitigating the Wider Health Effects of Covid-19 Pandemic Response. BMJ [Internet] (2020). Available from: http://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m1557.abstract. (Accessed June 12, 2020) 369m1557 - PMC - PubMed

[8] Douglas M, Katikireddi SV, Taulbut M, McKee M, McCartney G. Mitigating the Wider Health Effects of Covid-19 Pandemic Response. BMJ [Internet] (2020). Available from: http://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m1557.abstract. (Accessed June 12, 2020) 369m1557 - PMC - PubMed

[9] Jones BL, Jones JS. Gov. Cuomo Is Wrong, Covid-19 Is Anything but an Equalizer. Washington Post [Internet] (2020). Available from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/04/05/gov-cuomo-is-wrong-cov... (Accessed June 12, 2020).

[10] Jones BL, Jones JS. Gov. Cuomo Is Wrong, Covid-19 Is Anything but an Equalizer. Washington Post [Internet] (2020). Available from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/04/05/gov-cuomo-is-wrong-cov... (Accessed June 12, 2020).

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Reducing Inequities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Rapid Review and Synthesis of Public Health Recommendations

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Reducing Inequities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Rapid Review and Synthesis of Public Health Recommendations

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Conflict of interest statement

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