COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing: economic, psychological, family, and technological effects

Abstract Introduction The concept of social isolation is currently understood as a measure of epidemiological containment that aims to reduce the speed of spread of the disease, enabling health services to prepare their resources to cope with the likely increase in demand, while also seeking to provide additional protection to groups considered to be at higher risk. Objective The present narrative review aims to compile and synthesize the literature related to social isolation produced during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Method This study is a narrative review of the literature on social isolation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results 73 publications were included for full-text reading and were classified into the following categories: levels of social isolation, economic effects, family relationships, health system, mental health of the population, and use of technology. Conclusions It is necessary to plan an escalation of responses to the consequences of the pandemic, especially in view of the increased demand on the health sector and social services. The negative effects of social isolation can be prevented by public policies that offer a response to the economic recession, maintenance of social work, encouragement of quality care in mental health services, and community support for vulnerable families.