Through the Ethical Lenses: There is Really More than Meets the Eye with Covid-19

COVID 19 represent the pandemic of the century. It challenged all of us to look at the way we live, work, practice and interact with one another. This paper looks at the ethical issues and dilemmas COVID 19 posed. It looks at the difference between the day to day practice versus working under exceptional crisis situations. Common ethical principles are discussed candidly by the author, who is a full time frontline Emergency Physician and also a Member of Parliament in Singapore. Ethical principles of beneficence, justice, equity and virtue ethics are discussed with examples, as well as the three factors which are critical in managing a pandemic: leadership, values and balancing individual rights versus collective duties and responsibilities in society.

Keywords: COVID 19, ethics, ethical principles, beneficence, equity, justice, social distancing, quarantine, rights, virtue ethics, healthcare workers, pandemic.