As we head into June, reports have continued to emerge that highlight the magnitude of the indirect effects the COVID-19 pandemic is having on health systems around the world. The pandemic has created additional barriers for patients accessing essential care, whether it be restrictions on movement, transportation restrictions, stigma, impoverishment from loss of livelihoods, or avoidance of care due to concerns over contracting the virus.
The authors of this article’s aim is to highlight some of the key findings of the indirect health effects of COVID-19 from the past few weeks. Additionally, they have built an open-access inventory of accounts of indirect health effects of COVID-19. The inventory is designed to support researchers across the world in their attempts to quantify these indirect health effects of COVID-19, and provide pragmatic approaches to minimise these effects, using timely and real-life examples. You can find the current inventory here.