Page 9 - Sonoma County Gazette 6-20

OPINION: COVIDicidal 2020
yet or vaccination to prevent it. Modern health care workers in many nations have tried to help people survive these viruses now including Coronavirus Disease 2019, (COVID-19). People in many places world-wide are risking their lives to try and save people from death by COVID-19. Unfortunately many Doctors, Nurses, and other health care workers such as Emergency Medical Technicians and Respiratory Therapists are dying so others may live.
By R. T. Practicum
Rational and reasonable approaches to handling outbreaks of viruses deadly to
There are a number of people in many lands who do not feel threatened by the COVID virus and would prefer to not participate in steps being taken by various governments and societies to halt the spread of COVID. Invoking the terms, “freedoms”, “liberties”, and “rights”, some folks would go so far as to ignore the idea of “first do no harm” by actually encouraging the spread of COVID. They want to ignore medical advice to prevent the spread of the disease and “get on with their lives”. But this may endanger unsuspecting people in their area and even lead to more deaths. This is problematic for health care workers especially. As they work to stop the spread of the COVID, others are willing to take the risk of their own death, and that of others.
humanity can be an excellent time to reassess how humans interact to such global threats without killing each other. This can be a discussion fraught with emotional undercurrents and obstructions to clear thinking. This short review of some ideas attempts to be non-political. Let’s just deal with a current situation of many people on earth dying when they do not want to do so at this time. First, there will be a bit of definitions so readers will be able to share the ideas in a collaborative, helpful manner seeking positive outcomes for all those who wish to continue living at
this time. This is not meant to be overly pedantic but gives us a base line to move forward. In our thinking.
A common ground first. For quite some time humans using the English language have had many terms for the killing of humans such as homicide, infanticide, genocide, and suicide (killing yourself) as well as other forms of specific killing. In the ancient past a Greek Doctor named Hippocrates stated, “First do no harm” in regards to helping humans to stay alive. Because of this it has been historically frowned upon by many societies for Doctors to help people kill themselves. This is the case in many countries where it is against societal laws to assist suicides. Typically the other types of killing are also not often encouraged by organized societies. (Excluding Wars)
Let’s call this “COVIDicial”, for both homicide and suicide by COVID-19.
For many centuries humans have dealt with plagues and viruses killing many people. Bubonic Plague in the middle-ages, Influenzas more recently, and not
long ago Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a syndrome caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was killing many people world-wide. Some societies were so concerned about the infectious nature of these diseases being deadly to humans the societies passed laws stating to knowingly transmit the disease to others was a crime. Punishments were put in place to defer people from transmitting these diseases.
For those who are concerned about their rights to die by COVID-19, should
they become infected, there needs to be an “opt out” where they decline to seek medical care for COVID-19. They can die as they please without medical care workers risking contracting the deadly infection from them. They can cover their own costs of health care and death while requesting to be left alone. They can implement a “Do Not Resuscitate” directive and away they go. These COVIDicidal people bear some burdens to other humans though. Those who disregard medical advice bear a responsibility to first do no harm to others and not spread viruses.
Presently there are deadly viruses infecting humans with no known cure. This includes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) found in 2002 with no cure
Hopefully this short piece will encourage us to work together to save as many people as we can from COVID-19, especially health care workers struggling to save others from an untimely death. Please put forward your thoughts as we all begin to deal with the COVIDicidal among us.
Those who are inattentive and spread diseases may not be malicious. But those who seek to spread the disease could be charged with “COVIDicide” due to a reckless and wanton disregard for the safety of others who wish to stay free of the disease and not die at this time. COVIDicidal people spreading disease should bear consequences for any deadly behavior.
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