Policy

This article reports on the potential that ventilators may be reallocated from long-term care facilities to hospitals to respond to resource scarcity due to COVID-19 case surge, including the controversial possibility of disconnecting ventilators currently in use by long-term ventilator-dependent Read More

This draft legal analysis addresses whether existing protocols for rationing scarce resources comply with moral principles and with anti-discrimination laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and concludes that existing approaches adopting a utilitarian approach will have the effect Read More

This article discusses the Los Angeles County public health director’s request to community members to stay home this week as the number of local cases surpass 6000. “If you have enough supplies in your home, this would be the week Read More

According to this article U.K. health officials have decided not to release triage criteria for allocating scarce resources in response to COVID-19, even though the guidance had already been drafted and other pandemic response guidelines that include rationing scarce resources Read More

This article describes efforts by the Trump administration to use the Defense Production Act to compel N95 respirator manufacturer 3M to increase importation to the US of respirators the company manufacturers overseas and allegedly to stop exporting US-made respirators to Read More

Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb issued Executive Order 20-18 extending and clarifying the state stay-at-home order, including establishing an enforcement team for noncompliance. The Hastings Center has offered an expert-crafted guidance document for journalists, policymakers, and educators discussing the ethics of Read More

Illinois public health officials released racial and ethnic demographic data about COVID-19 patients, which showed that of the confirmed cases in Illinois as of March 27, 2020, 39% were White, 28% were Black, 4% were Asian, and 7% were Latino. Read More

This article reports on guidelines released by Northwell Health, one of New York state’s largest hospital systems, outlining institutional processes for allocating ventilators toward patients most likely to benefit should the need arise due to resource scarcity. According to the Read More

This analysis from experts on the ethics of pandemic drug and vaccine research raises significant concerns about promoting the use of unproven off-label uses drugs as part of COVID-19 response efforts. While acknowledging there is limited evidence for its effectiveness, Read More

This article discusses how residents of long-term care (LTC) facilities are more susceptible to COVID-19 and thus suppression should focus on testing and infection control at LTC facilities, while also being mindful of a state’s need to inspect LTC facilities Read More