Santosh K. Chaturvedi, MD

A review of COVID-19 and its impact on the ability to effectively treat pain in developing countries where resources were already limited in pre-pandemic times will be reviewed in this webinar.

Pre-existing disparities in access to medical care have come into sharper relief during the pandemic. Within countries, inequality between rich and poor in the care received, limited access for persons of color, and worse outcomes, especially in persons with co-morbidities, have been well documented. Geographic variation in attitudes about school and business closures, mask wearing, and social distancing have been particularly pronounced in the United States.

Geographic variation has been tremendous – some countries have experienced low infection rates due to rigorously enforced lockdowns while others have had surprisingly low infection rates despite a lack of masks and population density too high to allow social distancing. The medical care provided, including pain care, has likewise varied.

Now that vaccines are available, additional disparities have emerged. Within countries there are significant variations in willingness to be vaccinated along with variations in vaccine access. Between countries, availability of vaccines varies widely with some countries having already vaccinated a majority of their citizens.