The relation between the social and the biological and COVID-19

Social factors have been linked to disease severity and mortality in COVID-19. These social factors are ethnicity, social disadvantage, age, gender and occupation. Pre-existing medical conditions have also been identified as an increasing risk. This paper explores the relationship between these social and biological factors using a syndemic frame of reference. The paper argues that although the associations have been very well documented, the mechanisms linking the social factors and disease outcomes are not well understood. An approach that seeks to find commensurability between the social and the biological, is suggested.