Ethical issues in managing the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bioethics
; 35(6): 581-588, 2021 07.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1216724
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an immense and worldwide impact. In light of future pandemics or subsequent waves of COVID-19 it is crucial to focus on the ethical issues that were and still are raised in this COVID-19 crisis. In this paper, we look at issues that are raised in the testing and tracing of patients with COVID-19. We do this by highlighting and expanding on an approach suggested by Fineberg that could serve as a public health approach. In this way, we highlight several ethical issues. As regards testing, questions are raised such as whether it is ethical to use less reliable tests in order to increase testing capacity or minimize harm for patients. Another issue is how wide testing should be and whether selective testing is in accordance with principles of social justice. Patients who have recovered from COVID-19 might have some degree of immunity but attributing certain 'immunopriviliges' raises ethical questions. The use of various tracing methodologies (mobile apps or databases and trained tracers) raised evident questions of social justice and privacy. We argue why it is key to always uphold a test of proportionality where a fair balance must be sought.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Mass Screening
/
Public Health
/
Contact Tracing
/
Ethics
/
Pandemics
/
COVID-19 Testing
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Diagnostic study
/
Observational study
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Bioethics
Journal subject:
Ethics
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Bioe.12877
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