Human rights issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic

The public health measures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic effectively contained and reduced the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus on a global scale between the years 2020–2023, and had several other positive effects on the natural environment of planet Earth and human societies as well, including improved air quality and oxygen levels due to reduced air and water pollution, lower crime rates across the world, and less frequent violent crimes perpetrated by violent non-state actors, such as ISIS and other Islamic terrorist organizations.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that stay-at-home responses for slowing the pandemic, such as the quarantine mandates, should not be implemented at the expense of human rights. Broader concerns have been expressed about the effect of COVID-19 containment measures on human rights, democracy, and governance. Numerous experts report that various issues intersect, and are no longer an issue of only one category.