Ethics Lessons From Seattle's Early Experience With COVID-19

Denise M Dudzinski; Benjamin Y Hoisington; Crystal E Brown

doi:10.1080/15265161.2020.1764137

Ethics Lessons From Seattle's Early Experience With COVID-19

Am J Bioeth. 2020 Jul;20(7):67-74. doi: 10.1080/15265161.2020.1764137. Epub 2020 Jun 18.

Authors

Denise M Dudzinski¹, Benjamin Y Hoisington², Crystal E Brown²

Affiliations

¹ University of Washington School of Medicine.
² Harborview Medical Center.

PMID: 32552455
DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2020.1764137

Abstract

Ethics consultants and critical care clinicians reflect on Seattle's early experience as the United States' first epicenter of COVID-19. We discuss ethically salient issues confronted at UW Medicine's hospitals and provide lessons for other health care institutions that may soon face what we have faced.

Keywords: COVID-19; Ethics; SARS-CoV-2; distributive justice; equity; rationing.

MeSH terms

Betacoronavirus*
COVID-19
Cities
Communicable Disease Control*
Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology*
Coronavirus Infections / prevention & control
Humans
Pandemics / ethics
Pandemics / prevention & control
Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology*
Pneumonia, Viral / prevention & control
SARS-CoV-2
Washington / epidemiology