Pandemics and Ethics

Pandemics such as Covid-19, Ebola, SARS, and influenza, as well as the necessary measures for their research, prevention, and treatment, raise a number of ethical issues that confront science, the medical profession, and health policy.

This overview volume, written by renowned experts from medicine, the humanities, and the social sciences, addresses the central ethical issues in pandemics. Focusing on the disciplines of philosophy, public health, bioethics, and law, the book discusses issues of resource allocation, triage, and research, as well as restrictions on freedom, rights and duties of health professionals, and ethical aspects of digital medicine in crises. The volume is intended to serve as a handbook and to provide physicians as well as nurses, politicians and interested laypersons with valuable advice on how to deal with the difficult moral problems of epidemics and pandemics.

With expert contributions by Steffen Augsberg (Giessen), Klaus Bergdolt (Cologne), Nikola Biller-Andorno (Zurich), Walter Bruchhausen (Bonn), Christiane Druml (Vienna), Hans-Jörg Ehni (Tuebingen), Alice Faust (Berlin), Sophia Forster (Erlangen-Nuremberg), Andreas Frewer (Erlangen-Nuremberg), Sara Gerke (Boston/Cambridge), Patrik Hummel (Eindhoven), Elena Jirovsky-Platter (Vienna), Katharina Kieslich (Vienna), Otmar Kloiber (Ferney-Voltaire), Ulrich H. J. Körtner (Vienna), Eva Kuhn (Bonn), Georg Marckmann (Munich), Timo Minssen (Copenhagen), Tim Nguyen (Geneva), Barbara Prainsack (Vienna), Andreas Reis (Geneva), Anita Rieder (Vienna), Stephan Rixen (Bayreuth), Lana Saksone (Berlin), Martina Schmidhuber (Graz), Harald Schmidt (Philadelphia), Annabel Seebohm (Brussels), Daniel Strech (Berlin), Sebastian Wäscher (Zurich), Hans-Werner Wahl (Heidelberg), Stefanie Weigold (Berlin), and Lena Woydack (Berlin).   

Introduction Editors.- Historical Background Prof. Klaus Bergdolt (Cologne, Germany).- Public Health & Pandemics Prof. Georg Marckmann (Munich, Germany).- Solidarity and Social Justice Prof. Alena Buyx (Munich)/ Prof. Barbara Prainsack (Vienna, Austria).- Public Health/Justice Prof. Eckhard Nagel (Bayreuth).- Resource Allocation Prof. Harald Schmidt (Penn, USA).- Restriction of Fundamental Rights (for P.H.) Prof. Stefan Rixen (Bayreuth).- Public Health Surveillance PD Corinna Klingler (Berlin).- Digital Medicine (AI, Apps etc. ) Prof. Timo Minssen, Dr. Sara Gerke (Harvard).- Data Protection/Medical Law Prof. Christiane Wendehorst (Vienna).- Vulnerability PD Lutz Bergemann (Berlin)/Dr. Annette Rogge (Kiel).- Gender Aspects Prof. Anita Rieder, Dr.Elena Jirovsky (Vienna). - Global Health Prof. Walter Bruchhausen (Bonn).- Rights and duties of physicians and nurses Prof. Otmar Kloiber, Secretary General, World Medical Association (Geneva)/Dr. Annabel Seebohm (Brussels).- Research ethicsProf. Daniel Strech (Berlin) (with Alice Faust.-. Stefanie Weigold and Lana Saksone, Berlin).- Public Awareness/Infodemic (PubliCo project) Prof. Nikola Biller (Zurich), Tim Nguyen (WHO, Geneva).- Vaccination Programs/Vaccines etc. Prof. Christiane Druml (Vienna).- Religion, Pandemics and Medical Ethics Prof. Ulrich Körtner (Vienna).- Protection of the Elderly Prof. Hans-Jörg Ehni (Tübingen).- (optional additions depending on scope/meetings).- Ethics Consultation/Measures Clinical Ethics Prof. Andreas Frewer (Erlangen-Nuremberg).- [Research Ethics] PD Andreas Reis (Geneva).- [Covid-19 and People with Dementia] Prof. Martina Schmidhuber (Graz).