Public Health Emergency: Social vulnerability from the perspective of workers affected by COVID-19

Abstract

Public Health Emergencies (PHEs) are characterized by situations demanding the urgent implementation of control, prevention, and risk containment measures. COVID-19 was one of the most lethal PHEs of the 21st century, directly impacting the social vulnerability of numerous workers due to potential reductions in working hours and the actual loss of employment ties due to the illness and its sequelae. This study aimed to understand the experience of social vulnerability among diverse workers affected by the sequelae of COVID-19 (long COVID), who were receiving care at a public outpatient clinic located in the state of Bahia, Brazil. In-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire, and narratives from eight workers were analyzed based on hermeneutic-dialectics and social health sciences approaches. The findings confirm that long COVID exacerbates social vulnerability, particularly among workers lacking access to social security protections. The feminization of caregiving and the overburdening on women were evident, alongside the lack of social recognition of long COVID as a legitimate barrier to labor market reintegration. The study revealed that COVID-19 is not a socially neutral disease, disproportionately affecting socially disadvantaged groups.