Soziale Ungleichheit und COVID-19: Sozialepidemiologische Perspektiven auf die Pandemie

Zusammenfassung

Die neue Coronavirus-Erkrankung (COVID-19) trifft bestimmte Bevölkerungsgruppen stärker als andere. Sozialepidemiologische Muster der Pandemie, die über Alters- und Geschlechterunterschiede hinausgehen, sind bislang jedoch kaum erforscht. Für Deutschland liegen bisher nur sehr wenige Befunde zu den sozialen Determinanten von COVID-19 vor. Erste Berichte aus anderen westlichen Industrieländern lassen erkennen, dass Menschen in sozioökonomisch deprivierten Regionen und People of Color ein erhöhtes Risiko haben, schwer an COVID-19 zu erkranken und daran zu versterben. Hierfür dürften soziale Ungleichheiten im Infektionsrisiko, die sich durch unterschiedliche Lebens- und Arbeitsbedingungen ergeben, wie auch soziale Ungleichheiten in der Suszeptibilität und den Risikofaktoren für schwere COVID-19-Krankheitsverläufe, insbesondere das Vorhandensein von Vorerkrankungen, eine wesentliche Rolle spielen. Diese sind auch für Deutschland umfassend dokumentiert. Somit kann angenommen werden, dass auch hierzulande Menschen mit einem niedrigen sozioökonomischen Status besonders stark betroffen sein könnten, was vermutlich erst im weiteren Verlauf der Pandemie mehr zutage treten wird. Auch die sozialen, ökonomischen und psychosozialen Folgen der Maßnahmen, die zur Eindämmung der Pandemie getroffen werden, könnten verschiedene sozioökonomische Gruppen ungleich stark treffen. Damit hat die COVID-19-Pandemie insgesamt das Potenzial, soziale und gesundheitliche Ungleichheiten zu verstärken. Es braucht sozialepidemiologische Untersuchungen des COVID-19-Geschehens, um Maßnahmen des Gesundheits- und Infektionsschutzes zielgruppengerecht, evidenzbasiert und unter Berücksichtigung gesundheitlicher Chancengerechtigkeit weiterentwickeln zu können.

Abstract

The new Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) hits specific population groups harder than others. However, social-epidemiological patterns of the pandemic which go beyond differences by age and gender have hardly been addressed in Germany. First reports from other western industrialised countries indicate that people living in socioeconomically deprived areas and people of color have an increased risk of severe COVID-19 progression and mortality. Social inequalities in the risk of infection due to different living and working conditions, and social inequalities in the susceptibility and risk factors for severe COVID-19, particularly in pre-existing medical conditions, might play an important role in explaining those findings. Such inequalities are well established for Germany, as well. It can therefore be assumed that also in Germany people with a lower socioeconomic status might be more affected during the further course of the pandemic. In addition, the interventions to contain the pandemic might have unequal social, economic and psychological impacts on different social groups. Hence, the COVID-19 pandemic has the overall potential to increase social and health inequalities. Social-epidemiological research into COVID-19 is therefore needed to advance measures of health protection and infection control in an evidence-based, targeted and socially equitable manner.

Schlüsselwörter

Gesundheitliche Ungleichheit - soziale Determinanten - Sozialepidemiologie - COVID-19 - SARS-CoV-2

Key words

health inequalities - social determinants - social epidemiology - COVID-19 - SARS-CoV-2

Publication History

Article published online:
28 August 2020

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