Social isolation and loneliness: Imperatives for health care in a post-COVID world

The importance of social determinants of health has been gaining traction in the health care sector during the last decade. Social determinants of health have been found to be responsible for 80% to 90% of health outcomes, and an abundance of research has demonstrated that no matter the advancements in medicine and health care, the health of individuals and communities will not improve if these root-cause social factors are not addressed. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is highlighting one of these factors: social isolation.