Question

As a Department of Health and Social Services employee, draft a brief on the ethical issues related to statewide stay-at-home order and shut-down of all public activities. Research in retrospect what NYS has done in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Compare and contrast with approaches taken by other states, as well as the federal government.

*Address as many ethical considerations as you can think of. Address them from a pro and con perspective – in other words what ethical arguments favor or oppose each measure?

What are the ethical arguments in favor of and against state governments taking the lead in public health crises vs. some other entity, such as individuals, hospitals, or the federal government?

Answer 1

COVID-19, the pandemic hit during the beginning of December ,2019 and continue to affect our daily lives and influence in the way we talk to the way we see things.

CORONA virus have existed forever, but NOVEL CORONA VIRUS and this time the serotype must have been different, so we knew little of how to tackle , how to treat and what could come out of the pandemic wave.

So the early wave hit every region very hard successively moving from one place to the other, the death toll were high and hospitals were overwhelmed, that’s when social distancing and personal hygiene came into the scenario as the only measures to cut down the casualty and the burden on the health system.

As the state understood the measures needed to be taken , statewide stay at home order was passed and shut down public activities. The private firms were requested to close on their own and the schools were shut down.

Social distancing, use of masks and sanitisers ere promoted to extend and the people realized the need and it really helped bring down the death toll from over hundreds to below hundred.

COVID test rate were made high and the health professionals, the public persons , the deliverymen and all those likely to get more interacted with the general public need to get tested.

New York state also understood the participation and the power of people and spread the awareness in the early days itself to stick to the use of mask and not to compromise on that.

The other cities still see a high number while new York state managed to bring down the curve with continuous efforts from the authority, health personnel and the people themselves.

The reopening of the state were also in a controlled manner.

The greatest idea was to spread the fact that this virus is not saying a goodbye in the near future and the greatest is to learn to live with this pandemic, make necessary changes in the general outlook of the people on lives.

The policemen, the authority and people who used mask saw a lower rate of infection compared to the other general public who refused t take the measures.

The vaccine not coming up any time soon , the testing and success of dug or the vaccine not being confirmed, the awareness to be spread was that the slightest measure that seem silly like use of mask, sanitisers and social distancing works!

ETHICAL ISSUES:

JUSTICE

· When the attention shifted to the pandemic and the need to bring down the tragic number of deaths caused by COVID-19 , the other diseases and chronic illnesses that require regular follow up faced denial of getting hospitalized and treatment even though that was not deliberate.

· The emergency services all centered around COVID-19 that cost lives due to other emergency ailments and casualties

JUSTIFYING THE NEED AND INEVITABILITY OF THE LOCK DOWN AND SOCIAL DISTANCING

· This has been undoubtedly a tough time for the young and old alike, but while the old may benefit out of the social distancing more than the young as the young are most likely to get way with a simple and regular form of flu like any other normal flu, the old if ever get infected has to pay a higher price

Though the measures are applicable for everyone alike, the benefits outweighing the harm are on a different scale for different section

COST AND BENEFIT

· The benefits drawn by different sections are different and an argument comes that the people may get away with the pandemic even not obeying any protocol, however the price that some pay in terms of the economic loss and the mental burden are higher than the benefits they individually exercise

The final note is to emphasise the need to exercise the practice of social distancing and other measures for the better of you and the others.