Unheard, unseen and unprotected: DOHaD Council’s call for action to protect the younger generation from the long-term effects of COVID-19

Abstract

Globally, we are living through one of the most serious public health crises in recent history. Apart from the obvious health risks, the COVID-19 pandemic is exposing the damaging impact of inequalities. The risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 infection and of hospitalization and mortality rates differ greatly among different communities and populations. In high income countries, Black, Indigenous and People of Colour, low socioeconomic position communities and those living in high density population areas appear to be more at risk. In addition, pre-existing conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes or hypertension are contributing factors to greater morbidity and mortality for those infected with SARS-CoV-2. Similar sequelae of these pre-existing conditions are emerging in low and middle-income countries, although as yet the data are limited. There is also disparity in gender related risk, with men facing greater morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19 than women. It has emerged, however, that women will face greater social and economic consequences of this pandemic. This gender-based discrepancy, combined with little evidence for maternal-fetal transmission of the coronavirus and the disease burden among children also being low, may focus health action more on older men than on mothers and children. This concern is a predominant reason for this position paper on behalf of the board of the International DOHaD Society

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Identifiers

ORCID for Keith Godfrey: orcid.org/0000-0002-4643-0618

ORCID for Mary Barker: orcid.org/0000-0003-2976-0217

ORCID for Caroline Fall: orcid.org/0000-0003-4402-5552

ORCID for Mark Hanson: orcid.org/0000-0002-6907-613X

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