Sheila L. Klassen, Gene F. Kwan, Gene Bukhman
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly affected the poorest billion people worldwide. This is not only because of the chal- lenges specific to COVID-19 infection (establishing this complex diagnosis and managing severe cases of infection), but also because of the interruptions in routine medical care, disruptions in local and global supply chains, and increase in health care costs, all leading to further poverty and food insecurity. In this article, we discuss the unique vulnerabilities of the poorest billion population with cardio- vascular disease (CVD) to the COVID-19 pandemic and explore possible contribu- tions of the global CVD community to mitigate these disastrous effects.