Social Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic. A Systematic Review

Abstract

Objective. To provide a systematic review of the social consequences of COVID-19 pandemic.
 Methods. In the present study, articles indexed in Persian and Latin databases (Web Of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar and Magiran). 43 documents published in the last 3 years in Persian or English language were reviewed. The research steps were performed according to PRISMA writing standard and the quality assessment was done by two researchers independently with Newcastle Ottawa Scale tools for observational studies according to the inclusion criteria.
 Results. Measures to break the chain of virus transmission and to control the COVID-19 pandemic have caused major problems in the economic, social, political and psychological spheres and have affected billions of people worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic crisis has caused widespread unrest in society and unprecedented changes in lifestyle, work and social interactions, and increasing social distance has severely affected human relations.
 Conclusion. The COVID-19 pandemic has social consequences in certain groups can exacerbate their unfavorable situation. Special groups in crisis situations should be given more attention, and clear and precise policies and programs should be developed to support them

Did Ghana Do Enough? A Scientometric Analysis of COVID-19 Research Output from Ghana within the African Context

“…It was anticipated that the medical field would have the highest number of publications among all sub-categories due to the high infection and mortality rates of the disease, making it crucial to understand the disease progression. However, social sciences also had a significant number of publications, accounting for 13.7%, which may be attributed to the social consequences of the pandemic, including the unprecedented changes in lifestyle, work, and social interactions that affected human relations due to the disease [ 51 ].…”

COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake and Associated Factors in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from a Community-Based Survey in Tanzania

“…In addition, vaccine uptake and hesitancy have also been associated with social-demographic characteristics such as age (low uptake in young people), sex (low uptake among females), perceived risk of infection, low education level, low socio-economic status, negative attitudes towards vaccines, among other factors [ 2 , 3 , 8 , 11 , 13 , 15 , 16 ]. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the delivery of routine healthcare services due to increased hospitalization, increased death rates, and mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, panic, and stress [ 4 , 17 , 18 , 19 ], in addition to economic and socio-cultural consequences such as the unprecedented disruptions of lifestyles, familial, social and cultural communications, and relations [ 18 , 20 ].…”

The Effect of COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance, Intention, and/or Hesitancy and Its Association with Our Health and/or Important Areas of Functioning

“…The mode of transmission of COVID-19 together with its high fatality rate led to the institution of preventive measures by governments, which impacted negatively on our functioning. First, there were lockdowns and quarantining, which restricted people’s movement and, consequently, their social, school, and/or occupational functioning [ 22 , 23 , 24 ]. Later, as lockdown measures were lifted, physical (social) distancing measures and the compulsory wearing of masks were introduced, which further limited social interactions and access to work/school spaces.…”

“…This shortfall/challenges accelerated the use of the Internet or online mediums for teaching–learning, working, and social media interactions. Although these preventive measures were intended to contain and prevent the further transmission of COVID-19 infection, they also destabilised the normal functioning of society [ 22 , 23 , 24 ]. COVID-19 vaccination was, therefore, seen as one of the possible methods of returning to a state of normalcy.…”