Ethical Dilemmas and Decision-Making Challenges During Covid-19

Dr. Anisha

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Ethical Dilemmas and Decision-Making Challenges During Covid-19

Dr. Anisha

Shri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi, India

Volume 22: 2025 pp. 175-184: ABSTRACT

This case is based on a real-life situation that unfolded in Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019. It presents the ethical dilemma faced by the Italian administration, which was confronted with the morally challenging responsibility of treating a rapidly increasing number of COVID-19 patients amid severe shortages of medical equipment and resources. The case also highlights the moral distress and psychological toll experienced by healthcare professionals, who were forced to make ethically uncomfortable decisions on the front lines of the crisis. A particularly difficult aspect involved making triage decisions that often prioritized younger patients over the elderly. This scenario offers a valuable opportunity to examine and identify ethical issues through various philosophical lenses, including deontology, utilitarianism, virtue ethics, and theories of justice. It emphasizes the importance of navigating such dilemmas with a balanced ethical perspective, rather than relying exclusively on a single ethical framework

Keywords: ethical dilemma, triage decisions, moral disengagement, moral injury, crisis decisionmaking.