Impacts on Health, Environment and Quality of Life in the Post-Covid-19 Pandemic Period

Abstract

Objective: To investigate how the pandemic and the post-COVID-19 scenario may impact current and future plans in health (medical area), the environment, and the population's quality of life. Theoretical Framework: In 2019, the world began to live as a hostage to an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. As uncertainty reigns, the severity of the situation has shown that it could have social, health, educational, economic, and environmental aspects. Method: The methodology adopted for this research comprises a bibliographic review based on books, cataloged scientific articles being published on digital platforms including Scientific Library Online (SciELO), Pubmed, Periódico Capes, Cochrane, and Google Scholar, using the descriptors: COVID-19; quality of life; environment; health; and their respective synonyms, in Portuguese and English, published between 2015 and 2024. The exclusion criteria used in this study were duplicate articles in more than one database, with similar titles and that did not cover the topic, as well as articles published before 2015 in Portuguese and English. The main aspects analyzed for inclusion were the year of publication, type of study, language, objectives and main findings, according to the relevance of the original and current topic. Therefore, considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria, we made a cut of works published in the last 9 years and in the end 31 works were selected for the construction of this study. Results and Discussion: The results obtained revealed that all social spheres were, and may still be, affected unequally by the pandemic, since it is a situation of unknown nature, which is intensified every day by globalization and social inequalities. Direct impacts on the economy and jobs, as well as indirect effects of learning losses among children who are out of school. In terms of health and the impact on quality of life, we found changes in mental health, with an increase in the diagnosis of depression among adults. Research Implications: The practical and theoretical implications of this research are discussed, providing insights into how the results can be applied or influence practices in the fields of health, environment and education. These implications can cover areas of health promotion, economics and public and private management. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by addressing a current topic with extreme social relevance that prioritizes deepening knowledge in the area that has changed humanity the most in current times: the COVID-19 Pandemic. Furthermore, it analyzes the real impacts of this historical and unique moment in the global context, with a greater focus on health, the environment and the quality of life of the human population.