Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Adv Nutr. 2021 Mar 31;12(2):287-290. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmaa126.
During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, food insecurity has doubled overall and tripled among households with children in the United States. Food insecurity and COVID-19 may exacerbate one another through bidirectional links, leading to a syndemic, or sequential disease clusters, which exacerbate one another. Experiencing food insecurity may be associated with macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies, which can weaken host defenses, thus increasing susceptibility to COVID-19. Food insecurity is associated with chronic medical conditions, which may afford a higher risk of severe COVID-19 illness. People experiencing food insecurity may have increased exposure to COVID-19 while procuring food. People with COVID-19 may be unable to work, generate income, and procure food while quarantined, which may exacerbate food insecurity. Clinicians should screen for food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic and provide referrals to food-assistance programs when appropriate. Policymakers should expand benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to address increases in the depth and breadth of food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
在 2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行期间，美国整体的食物不安全状况增加了一倍，有儿童的家庭增加了两倍。食物不安全和 COVID-19 可能通过双向联系加剧彼此，导致综合征或连续的疾病群，从而相互加剧。经历食物不安全可能与宏量营养素和微量营养素缺乏有关，这会削弱宿主防御能力，从而增加感染 COVID-19 的易感性。食物不安全与慢性疾病有关，这可能使 COVID-19 严重疾病的风险更高。在获取食物时，经历食物不安全的人可能会增加接触 COVID-19 的机会。感染 COVID-19 的人可能无法在隔离期间工作、产生收入和获取食物，这可能会加剧食物不安全。临床医生应在 COVID-19 大流行期间筛查食物不安全，并在适当情况下转介到食物援助计划。政策制定者应扩大补充营养援助计划（SNAP）和妇女、婴儿和儿童特别补充营养计划（WIC）的福利，以解决 COVID-19 大流行期间食物不安全程度加深和范围扩大的问题。
