Persons with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic: guaranteeing fundamental rights and equity in care

Cad Saude Publica. 2021 Sep 22;37(9):e00291720. doi: 10.1590/0102-311X00291720. eCollection 2021.ABSTRACTThis is a scoping review of the PubMed, Scopus, BIREME, SciELO, and Web of Science databases, including publications from December 2019 to May 2020 with the objective of identifying and systematizing the literature on the status of persons with disabilities in the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The review aimed to search for original peer-reviewed articles published in indexed journals, in addition to the specialized gray literature. We reviewed 386 texts and included 33 articles and documents in the study. The review's results pointed to three thematic categories that reflect the main discussions on the theme in the literature: vulnerabilities of persons with disabilities during the pandemic; rights of persons with disabilities in this context; and protective measures and access to information on COVID-19 for persons with disabilities. In the context of the public health emergency, historically marginalized communities such as persons with disabilities run the risk of feeling more vulnerable, suffering deprivations, discrimination in screening plans for care, and prejudices and stigmas that influence decision-making in healthcare and exacerbate preexisting inequalities, making this group more susceptible to illness and lack of social protection. Although persons with disabilities have been acknowledged as a risk group for COVID-19, governments have been slow to ...
Source: Cadernos de Saude Publica - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Source Type: research