COVID-19 and the reality of people with disabilities in Argentina: possibilities of complying with the considerations of the World Health Organization
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31053/1853.0605.v77.n3.28767Keywords:
disabilities; virus; pandemicsAbstract
Introduction: In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO published considerations regarding people with disabilities. The aim of this work was to know if these considerations can be fulfilled and if there are differences in their fulfillment between age groups.
Method: Descriptive study aimed at people with disabilities in Argentina. A survey was conducted about the four WHO recommendations for this population in online mode, between the 28th and 39th days of preventive and compulsory social isolation. Statistical analysis was according to the nature of the variables, X2 with Fisher's correction was used to determine the differences between groups.
Results: 309 surveys were collected from 18 provinces of Argentina. 230(74.4%[69.1-79.1]) were answered by caregivers and 79(25.5%[20.7-30.7]) by people with disabilities. Persons with disabilities were 138(44.7%[39.0-50.4]) children and adolescents and 171(55.3%[49.5-60.9]) adults and older adults.
People with disabilities were able to comply with the WHO recommendations regarding reducing exposure to COVID-19 and to be prepared in case of contracting it. There were difficulties in the number of caregivers needed, since 266(66.6%[61.0-71.8]) have this possibility, and difficulties in 55(32.1%[25.1-39.6]) adults and older adults that do not carry out educational-therapeutic activities. There are feelings of anxiety, distress, or depression in people with disabilities and their caregivers.
Conclusion: In Argentina, it is possible to comply with the WHO recommendations to avoid exposure to the virus and to be prepared in case of infection. Challenges remain to be solved in terms of accompanying people with disabilities in their physical and mental health.
Downloads
References
2. World Health Organization (WHO). Alocución de apertura del Director General de la OMS en la rueda de prensa sobre la COVID-19 celebrada el 11 de marzo de 2020. Discursos del Dir Gen la OMS. 2020:1. https://www.who.int/es/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020. Accessed April 25, 2020.
3. Du Toit A. Outbreak of a novel coronavirus. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2020;18(3):123-123. doi:10.1038/s41579-020-0332-0
4. República Argentina Argentina. Boletín oficial Decreto N° 260/2020. https://www.boletinoficial.gob.ar/suplementos/2020031201NS.pdf. Published 2020. Accessed May 5, 2020.
5. Ministerio de Salud de la Nación. Resolución 567/2020. http://servicios.infoleg.gob.ar/infolegInternet/anexos/335000-339999/335673/norma.htm. Published March 14, 2020. Accessed May 5, 2020.
6. República Argentina. Boletin Oficial - Aislamiento social preventivo y obligatorio - Decreto 297/2020. https://www.boletinoficial.gob.ar/detalleAviso/primera/227042/20200320. Published March 19, 2020. Accessed May 5, 2020.
7. World Health Organisation. WHO Disability Report. World Report on Disability. www.who.int/about/licensing/copyright_form/en/index.html. Published 2011. Accessed June 19, 2019.
8. Ministerio de Salud de la Nación. Anuario Estadistico Nacional de Prsonas Con Discapacidad. Buenos Aires; 2016.
9. Unicef. Preventing discrimination against people with disabilities in COVID-19 response. UN News. https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/03/1059762. Published 2020. Accessed April 25, 2020.
10. United Nations Human Rights. COVID-19 and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Guidance.; 2020.
11. Armitage R, Nellums LB. The COVID-19 response must be disability inclusive. Lancet Public Heal. 2020;0(0). doi:10.1016/s2468-2667(20)30076-1
12. Organización Mundial de la Salud. Consideraciones Relativas a La Discapacidad Durante El Brote de COVID-19.; 2020. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/documents/disability/spanish-covid-19-disability-briefing.pdf?sfvrsn=30d726b1_2.
13. Organización Mundial de la Salud. CIE-10 Clasificación Internacional de Las Enfermedades, Clasificación de Los Trastornos Mentales y Del Comportamiento. Madrid; 2004.
14. Lo JYC, Tsang THF, Leung YH, Yeung EYH, Wu T, Lim WWL. Respiratory infections during SARS Outbreak, Hong Kong, 2003. Emerg Infect Dis. 2005;11(11):1738-1741. doi:10.3201/eid1111.050729
15. Schiariti V. Los derechos humanos de los niños con discapacidad durante emergencias sanitarias: el desafío de COVID-19. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2020:1-2. doi:10.1111/dmcn.14529
16. Ministerio de Salud Argentina. COVID-19 Recomendaciones de Asistencia y Apoyo Emocional Para Personas Con Discapacidad. Buenos Aires; 2020. http://www.msal.gob.ar/images/stories/bes/graficos/0000001960cnt-covid-19-recomendaciones-asistencias-personas-discapacidad.pdf. Accessed May 22, 2020.
17. World Health Organization (WHO). Mental Health and Psychosocial Considerations during the COVID-19 Outbreak.; 2020.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2020 Universidad Nacional de Córdoba
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
The Faculty of Medical Sciences Journal (RFCM) subscribes to the Open Access policy and does not charge authors fees for publishing, nor does it charge readers fees for accessing published articles (APC).
