Vulnerabilities highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic from a bioethics perspective

Abstract

This integrative literature review sought to identify the vulnerabilities faced by the Brazil population and which were highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bibliographic search conducted on the SciELO, LILACS and PubMed databases from February to March 2021 identified seven articles, which were organized by title, author(s), methodology, objectives, and main findings. The analysis found the following vulnerabilities: denial of rights, lack of socioeconomic power, and violence against children and the aged. These were systemized into the categories “vulnerability by lack of power” and “vulnerability by human development cycle.” Such vulnerabilities are historically marked in Brazil and have increased during the pandemic, thus highlighting the need for a bioethics-based active intervention.