Details
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 724-725 |
Number of pages | 2 |
Journal | Journal of medical ethics |
Volume | 46 |
Issue number | 11 |
Early online date | 19 Aug 2020 |
Publication status | Published - 28 Oct 2020 |
Abstract
At this stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, two policy aims are imperative: Avoiding the need for a general lockdown of the population, with all its economic, social and health costs, and preventing the healthcare system from being overwhelmed by the unchecked spread of infection. Achieving these two aims requires the consideration of unpalatable measures. Julian Savulescu and James Cameron argue that mandatory isolation of the elderly is justified under these circumstances, as they are at increased risk of becoming severely ill from COVID-19, and are thus likely to put disproportionate strain on limited healthcare resources. However, their arguments for this strategy are contingent on the lack of viable alternatives. We suggest that there is a possible alternative: A mandatory, centralised contact-Tracing app. We argue that this strategy is ethically preferable to the selective isolation of the elderly, because it does not target members of a certain group, relying instead on the movements of each individual, and because it avoids the extended isolation of certain members of the society. Although this type of contact-Tracing app has its drawbacks, we contend that this measure warrants serious consideration.
Keywords
- coercion, elderly and terminally ill, emergency medicine, ethics, public policy
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Nursing(all)
- Issues, ethics and legal aspects
- Social Sciences(all)
- Health(social science)
- Arts and Humanities(all)
- Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
- Medicine(all)
- Health Policy
Sustainable Development Goals
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In: Journal of medical ethics, Vol. 46, No. 11, 28.10.2020, p. 724-725.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - How to overcome lockdown
T2 - Selective isolation versus contact tracing
AU - White, Lucie
AU - Van Basshuysen, Philippe
N1 - Funding Information: Funding This research was funded in part by the Volkswagen Foundation within the project ’Bias and Discrimination in Big Data and Algorithmic Processing: Philosophical Assessments, Legal Dimensions, and Technical Solutions.’
PY - 2020/10/28
Y1 - 2020/10/28
N2 - At this stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, two policy aims are imperative: Avoiding the need for a general lockdown of the population, with all its economic, social and health costs, and preventing the healthcare system from being overwhelmed by the unchecked spread of infection. Achieving these two aims requires the consideration of unpalatable measures. Julian Savulescu and James Cameron argue that mandatory isolation of the elderly is justified under these circumstances, as they are at increased risk of becoming severely ill from COVID-19, and are thus likely to put disproportionate strain on limited healthcare resources. However, their arguments for this strategy are contingent on the lack of viable alternatives. We suggest that there is a possible alternative: A mandatory, centralised contact-Tracing app. We argue that this strategy is ethically preferable to the selective isolation of the elderly, because it does not target members of a certain group, relying instead on the movements of each individual, and because it avoids the extended isolation of certain members of the society. Although this type of contact-Tracing app has its drawbacks, we contend that this measure warrants serious consideration.
AB - At this stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, two policy aims are imperative: Avoiding the need for a general lockdown of the population, with all its economic, social and health costs, and preventing the healthcare system from being overwhelmed by the unchecked spread of infection. Achieving these two aims requires the consideration of unpalatable measures. Julian Savulescu and James Cameron argue that mandatory isolation of the elderly is justified under these circumstances, as they are at increased risk of becoming severely ill from COVID-19, and are thus likely to put disproportionate strain on limited healthcare resources. However, their arguments for this strategy are contingent on the lack of viable alternatives. We suggest that there is a possible alternative: A mandatory, centralised contact-Tracing app. We argue that this strategy is ethically preferable to the selective isolation of the elderly, because it does not target members of a certain group, relying instead on the movements of each individual, and because it avoids the extended isolation of certain members of the society. Although this type of contact-Tracing app has its drawbacks, we contend that this measure warrants serious consideration.
KW - coercion
KW - elderly and terminally ill
KW - emergency medicine
KW - ethics
KW - public policy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85094933395&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1136/medethics-2020-106680
DO - 10.1136/medethics-2020-106680
M3 - Review article
C2 - 32817409
AN - SCOPUS:85094933395
VL - 46
SP - 724
EP - 725
JO - Journal of medical ethics
JF - Journal of medical ethics
SN - 0306-6800
IS - 11
ER -