A Crisis within a Crisis: COVID-19 and Hidden Hunger

Abstract

The coronavirus (Covid-19), which was recognized in December 2019 and quickly became a worldwide pandemic, has become a significant public health problem. When it comes to the immune and infectious diseases, effects of nutrition on the inflammatory system cannot be ignored. Micronutrients, including vitamins and minerals, are critical to a well-functioning immune system and vital in supporting nutritional and health well-being. However, there are serious vitamin and mineral deficiencies worldwide known as "Hidden Hunger". It is thought that need for micronutrients in nutrition may increase especially during Covid-19 pandemic process. Therefore, it is essential to take precautions regarding the formation of hidden hunger. While the underlying determinants and complexity of malnutrition have been better understood through years of research, these researches have been limited in scaling, developing and implementing nutrition and food system approaches closely related to sustainable agriculture targeting food diversity and livelihoods.. In this review, the Covid-19 pandemic and its interactions with health, environment, food and their relationship to chronic micronutrient deficiencies, known as 'hidden hunger,' which affected more than two billion people worldwide, are evaluated.