Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times; Ethical dilemmas in the age of coronavirus: Whose lives should we save?
"In routine times, emergency room physicians operate on egalitarian
principles, offering first-come, first-served intensive care on the
basis that everybody’s life is equal.
But the approach becomes
more utilitarian in times of catastrophe. When systems are overrun
during wars and natural disasters, doctors must decide how to maximize
resources for the greatest social good.
“This is the largest
experiment of social mitigation strategies and handling of a pandemic in
human history,” said Howard Markel, a professor of history at the
University of Michigan. “Historical epidemics don’t count because they
didn’t have intensive care, respirators or intravenous fluids. We’re all
flying by the seat of our pants.”"
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