Copy to Clipboard What are Covid-19 pandemic pods? (Getty Images) Multiple studies have shown peopleâs deep need for connection and how it can influence health. Social connection is associated with about a 50% reduction in the risk of early death, an analysis revealed, for example. A 2016 study has linked loneliness and social isolation to a 32% increased risk of having a stroke or developing coronary artery disease. A recent report also suggests that loneliness triggers chemical responses in the brain similar to what is prompted by hunger. It is, therefore, not surprising that the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown, isolation, and quarantine guidelines have forced many to turn to so-called âpandemic pods,â say experts.