Ética, salud mental y COVID-19 / Ethics, mental health, and COVID-19

RESUMEN

RESUMEN La COVID-19, confirmada en el Perú el 6 de marzo de 2020 con su primer caso, ha develado en nuestro país diversas precariedades, no sólo en su sistema de salud, sino, también, en su democracia y nivel moral de la sociedad. En el artículo se revisan diversos problemas éticos y de salud mental destacando, entre ellos, la dificultad de colaboración entre Estado/Sociedad para luchar unidos contra la pandemia, y la presencia de grupos poblacionales que, en lugar de protegerse, ignoran las normas de aislamiento social facilitando la transmisión del agente viral. Se propone una hipótesis -científica y moral explicativa- de tales conductas. Además, aprovechando la energía que brinda toda crisis y la posibilidad de convertirla en corriente de desarrollo, se sugiere una serie de medidas de inversión gubernamental con el potencial de corregir los problemas de salud mental que afectan, por siglos, a la sociedad peruana, para impulsar su desarrollo moral y económico.

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT COVID-19, whose first case was confirmed in Peru in March 2020, revealed many deficiencies in our country, not only in its health systems, but also with respect to democracy and moral values of Peruvian society. This paper reviews both ethical and mental health problems, pointing out difficulties between the state and the civil society for working together against the pandemics, and also stating the presence of population groups that instead of protecting themselves, ignore regulations for social distancing and isolation facilitating the transmission of the viral agent. An explanatory scientific and moral hypothesis is proposed aiming to explain such conduct. Also, taking advantage of all the energy generated by a crisis and the possibility of turning this into a developmental current, some measures to be taken by the government are proposed, with the purpose of trying to correct mental health problems that have been affecting the Peruvian society for a long time, aiming to improve its moral and economic development.