When all of this will be passed, and the coronavirus will be a faraway memory, we will have to seriously think on the health systems of the world, regarding the rights of workers, the health of the citizen, herd immunity and disabled people’s rights above all.

Coronavirus and the Italian decisions

The result is that many doctors have announced to the media that they are forced, because of structural inadequacy, to “choose” who to treat. That is, to privilege those who are considered to have greater chances of survival from the virus. In the future things will have to go back to being as they were for decades, in the homeland of the “highest” and human legislation (ours).

The tendency to move the gaze from a problem to find others that are considered more serious, it must be said that the behaviours regarding SARS-CoV-2 adopted in other parts of the world, UK and USA above all.

Coronavirus in the UK and the herd immunity

Herd immunity announced by the English premier is an ancient scientific concept. It consists of community immunity, that is a mechanism established within a community whereby if the vast majority of individuals are vaccinated, it limits the circulation of an infectious agent, thus going to protect even those who cannot undergo vaccination, perhaps for particular health problems.

It is a fundamental mechanism to reduce the circulation and transmission of infectious diseases used to bend public health to the need not to affect the economic interests of companies, and it is ethically unacceptable. However, at the moment this is turning out to be an unproved efficient method.

Coronavirus in the US and the rights of disabled people

The situation that is developing in the US must make us thinking: regarding Donald Trump’s statements, which is demonstrating to be very “rough”, there are over 10 states that “chosen” who to save.

Minnesota will exclude people who suffer from liver cirrhosis, lung disease and heart disease from having the right to a ventilator in intensive care. In Tennessee, people with spinal muscular atrophy will be excluded from intensive care.

In the states of Washington, New York, Alabama, Tennessee, Utah, Minnesota, Colorado, Oregon, physicians must evaluate general physical and mental health, before giving the placet to intervention in case of positivity to coronavirus.

A dozen states have already made known in their lists of criteria for access to limited care in terms of mental conditions. All of this because of the general insufficiency of beds in intensive care units. Without disturbing the memory of Dr Mengele, is it appropriate to speak of a form of eugenics?

Well, if we consider that the exclusion criteria fully affect any form of disability, it does not seem particularly out of place.

COVID-19 and disability

When the COVID-19 will be wiped out, we will be called to reflect on what type of society we want to become not in quiet moments, but in “times of war”, or what rights are to be considered truly inalienable, for men. Disabled people on all.

 

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