Abstract
At the time of this editorial, COVID-19, aka the Novel Coronavirus, has wrecked havoc and left in its path of destruction, death, unemployment, the instability of nation’s economies, misery, uncertainty, despair, and a fear regarding what the new tomorrow will look like. And, perhaps more importantly, the question of who will be here tomorrow lingers. Now classified as a pandemic, this virus has resulted in over 1,381,014 cases worldwide with 78,269 deaths to date. Presently, Louisiana and Detroit are emerging as the next hot spots behind New York as the fastest rate of increase for COVID-19 cases in the world. Were the virus or threat thereof not enough, there are well-documented shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gowns and masks used by healthcare workers. As such, there are growing reports of healthcare workers in some areas wearing as protective gear, trash bags and disposable masks normally worn for one day, being worn for 5-6 days. This editorial discusses the possibility of healthcare workers also being tasked with the practice of euthanasia by having to choose who will live based upon age.
Recommended Citation
(2020). Euthanasia of the Coronavirus - COVID-19. Journal of Health Ethics, 16(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.18785/ojhe.1601.02Included in
Bioethics and Medical Ethics Commons, Business Law, Public Responsibility, and Ethics Commons, Civil Law Commons, Health Law and Policy Commons, Humane Education Commons, Medical Jurisprudence Commons
