Pandemics, Protocols, and the Plague of Athens: Insights from Thucydides.
Hastings Cent Rep
; 50(3): 50-53, 2020 May.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-619245
ABSTRACT
When confronted by the novel ethical challenges posed by a pandemic, it is helpful to turn to history for guidance and direction. In this essay, the author revisits Thucydides's description of the Plague of Athens from The Peloponnesian War as he considers the New York State Task Force on Life and the Law's 2015 guidelines on ventilator allocation. Confronted by the exigencies of the Covid-19 surge that struck New York, he questions the task force's decision not to give any degree of preference to health care workers who might become ill. He posits that they are due a compensatory ethic and some deference given the risks they have assumed, often with inadequate protective gear. Reflecting on his ambivalence, he asks if his change of heart reflects the impact of experiential learning or the erosion of nomos-or governing norms-described by Thucydides when the plague struck Athens.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pneumonia, Viral
/
Clinical Protocols
/
Health Personnel
/
Coronavirus Infections
/
Bioethical Issues
/
Personal Protective Equipment
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
North America
/
Europa
Language:
English
Journal:
Hastings Cent Rep
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
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