Covid-19 is not democratic: social determination of the health-disease process in a gender-race-class-sexuality analysis

Abstract

The spread of COVID-19 in Brazil took place in a political scenario of important democratic setbacks and the dismantling of social security. In order to investigate this context more deeply, the field of health has, historically, formulated theoretical models that seek understandings of health and disease. Furthermore, in order to explain the health conditions of the population through a more complete notion, it is essential to discuss the health-disease process and its social determination in an episteme of gender-race-class-sexuality, since health understood as a broad development of human potential at a certain historical moment, it collides with the limitations established by the structure for achieving these capacities through the inequalities that mark the national reality. The daily developments and direct impacts on the lives of the black population, women, the LGBTQIA+ population and, in general, the working class in the pandemic, with a higher number of deaths, affecting to a greater degree mental health, work relationships and family members, concretely validate the social determination of the health-disease process. Therefore, the project and conception of health needs to position itself in the dispute for a critical perception of reality, and for action to build an emancipated society.