This essay examines the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on health inequalities, drawing historical and contemporary evidence from past pandemics such as the 1918 Spanish influenza and the 2009 H1N1 outbreak. It highlights that the current pandemic is experiencing similar inequalities in infection and mortality rates, particularly among socio-economically disadvantaged groups, ethnic minorities, and marginalized communities. The essay argues that these inequalities are part of a *syndemic pandemic*, where COVID-19 interacts with existing chronic diseases and social determinants of health. It explores the potential consequences of lockdown measures, focusing on the unequal impacts of the economic crisis, and concludes by discussing the need for long-term public health policy responses to prevent the pandemic from exacerbating health inequalities for future generations.This essay examines the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on health inequalities, drawing historical and contemporary evidence from past pandemics such as the 1918 Spanish influenza and the 2009 H1N1 outbreak. It highlights that the current pandemic is experiencing similar inequalities in infection and mortality rates, particularly among socio-economically disadvantaged groups, ethnic minorities, and marginalized communities. The essay argues that these inequalities are part of a *syndemic pandemic*, where COVID-19 interacts with existing chronic diseases and social determinants of health. It explores the potential consequences of lockdown measures, focusing on the unequal impacts of the economic crisis, and concludes by discussing the need for long-term public health policy responses to prevent the pandemic from exacerbating health inequalities for future generations.