Coronavirus Part V - 34 cases in ROI, 16 in NI (as of 10 March) *Read warnings in OP*

Pseudonym121 wrote: »

There’s much less social engineering than people think when Consultants make these kinds of decisions. I care about who is most likely to survive first and foremost.

One factor that then comes into play is how much life is left. If there’s one ventilator and two people need it and both have an equal chance of recovering then, yeah, the 20 year old will get it before the 80 year old. That’s just the way it works when doing greater good calculations.

To be clear NO Consultant thinks anyone is expendable BUT we DO have to use our VERY limited resources to do the greatest good for society as a whole. Usually there are enough resources so this isn’t as starkly obvious to everyone as it has become now but every week when I decide who needs to be prioritised for treatment and who needs to wait due to lack of resources I know I am condemning those who have to wait to prolonged pain, suffering and greater risk of dying. That’s what makes it a tough draining profession sometimes.

So, if you get sick no-one will be viewed as expendable whether old, young, intellectually or physically disabled ( or differently abled if you prefer that terminology) but we will try to do the greatest good for society as a whole In the face of overwhelming numbers of ill people. Prioritising some means not having resources for others. That’s simply the way medicine has always worked at a population level.

The best thing to do is socially isolate and hand wash so you don’t end up in hospital at all but certainly not during the peak month when things will be at their absolute worst.

MadYaker wrote: »

Monday morning anyone else hoping their work gets shut down?

DOCARCH wrote: »

As a self employed person.....NO!