Derechos humanos y dimensión social de personas vulnerables durante la pandemia por el nuevo coronavirus SARS-CoV-2

INTRODUCTION: The criteria for hospital admission and the application of the principle of distributive justice in exceptional situations, and emergencies at the peak of a second wave caused by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, must be rethought and reviewed in the light of human rights and the social dimension of the person. OBJECTIVE: Review the human rights and social dimension of vulnerable people in the pandemic caused by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. METHODOLOGY: An analysis and reflection was carried out on human rights and the social dimension of vulnerable people affected with the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. RESULTS: Human rights are indivisible and interdependent. This means that they cannot be fully enjoyed if they are not all integrated. Therefore, there is an obligation to respect, protect, and fulfil them. The social dimension of the person is related to quality of life, life cycle, life expectancy, and their social value. The medical concepts that are used interchangeably to identify vulnerable people due to their functional condition are: elderly, comorbidity, frailty, dementia, and disability. However, they are different clinical entities, that are causally related, which cause vulnerability in COVID-19 patients. DISCUSSION: The COVID-19 disease is a serious global challenge that consists of a call to revitalize the universal values contained in international human rights standards. Decisions and practices related to the management of the pandemic must be formulated and implemented based on respect, dignity, rights and human values. CONCLUSION: Vulnerable people, due to their functional condition, increase the risk of suffering from the COVID-19 disease, as well as the risk of not being admitted to the ICU in times of exception or emergency. An adequate assessment of human rights and the social dimension of the person will ensure that these patients are not discriminated against.