By: Lorian Hardcastle

PDF Version: The Effects of COVID-19 on the Health System: Legal and Ethical Tensions Part II

Matter Commented On: COVID-19 in Alberta and Canada

Since it appeared in Canada at the end of January, the number of cases of COVID-19 has steadily increased. Despite considerable efforts to contain the spread of the disease, Canada has seen over 1000 new cases per day since late March, with this number reaching 1600 new cases in a single day on April 5. On April 7, 58 people succumbed to the disease in one day. The ongoing COVID-19 outbreak raises numerous pressing legal and ethical tensions. In a previous ABlawg post, I examined the trade-offs that governments have made between individual liberties and protecting the public good. In this post, I consider two additional legal and ethical tensions: health care priority setting in the face of scarce resources and the disproportionate effects of public health measures on vulnerable people. Continue reading →

By: Lorian Hardcastle

PDF Version: The Effects of COVID-19 on the Health System: Legal and Ethical Tensions Part I

Matter Commented On: COVID-19 in Alberta and Canada

Introduction

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that affect humans and animals and, in some circumstances, can pass between species. Coronaviruses cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to SARS. A novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, was first identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019. There have been over 1,250,000 cases worldwide, over 68,000 of which have been fatal. Actual infection rates are likely much higher, given the limited number of tests conducted in many jurisdictions, the backlog in receiving test results, and the prevalence of false negative tests. As of April 5, there have been 1181 cases in Alberta, including 20 fatalities. Continue reading →