On Monday, May 4 from 3:00 - 4:00 pm, you can listen in on a panel discussion hosted by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. The discussion will include two panelists from the Center for Bioethics: Director Debra DeBruin, PhD and Clinical Ethics Adjunct Joel Wu, JD, MPH. It will be moderated by the Center's affiliate faculty member Sarah Gollust, PhD of the School of Public Health.
What It Means to be Part of the Community in a Pandemic: The Ethics of Social Distancing, Rationing, and Crisis Standards
The COVID-19 pandemic has stressed community resources, created significant economic hardships, and is resulting in the deaths of thousands of Americans. To minimize those harms, Minnesota has implemented unprecedented social distancing measures and has closed certain types of businesses statewide. At the same time, hospitals and health care system are planning to ration care if scarcity arises. This presentation will examine how we share burdens and benefits in a pandemic, ranging from population-based interventions like social distancing to implementing crisis standards of care in hospitals. Presenters will discuss approaches to deciding what kinds of public health interventions are justifiable in the context of a pandemic, and some of the challenging decisions that lie ahead for policymakers and health care providers.
