
Beyond a sanitary crisis
The COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America has posed an unprecedented threat within a region already facing multiple challenges. The contingency has reached various socio-economic dimensions and has presented itself as more than a purely sanitary crisis. While the outbreak has negatively impacted the global economy, the result for Latin American households has been overwhelmingly challenging. With GDPs affected and governments limited by budgetary and political constraints, little to no economic support has been offered to citizens. This has resulted in the exacerbation of multiple social issues and a further increase on cases as people desperately seek for income sources as a result of unemployment.The health crisis itself has also been aggravated by regional constraints. The lack of testing capacity, overcrowded hospitals, and limited resources such as medical oxygen, are some examples of what Latin American patients have been facing throughout the pandemic.