Abstract

CONSUEGRA-FERNANDEZ, Marta  and  FERNANDEZ-TRUJILLO, Alejandra. The loneliness of COVID-19 patients at the end of their lives. Rev. Bioética y Derecho [online]. 2020, n.50, pp.81-98.  Epub Nov 23, 2020. ISSN 1886-5887.

Public health security measures launched worldwide in order to prevent the rapid transmission of SARS-CoV-2 have renewed the interest in certain aspects of health care ethics. General medical recommendations such as critically ill patient prioritization or equitable distribution of scarce resources have been widely discussed. Nevertheless, little consideration has so far been given to the loneliness of patients with COVID-19 at the end of their lives. Present health safety policies and regulations inevitably entail the isolation of people diagnosed with COVID-19 or those suspected of being infected -due to shortage of diagnostic tests. This procedure necessarily spells patient's rights violation particularly affecting the right to a dignified death and end-of-life care, thus contributing to a high number of lonely deaths. Although the isolation is one of the best strategies to prevent the infection, it is needed to ease such policy towards a relaxation of these measures whenever patients expressly requests it. To this aim, the current manuscript analyzes patient end-of-life right infringements within the context of the health crisis caused by COVID-19 and provides recommendations to promote respect for their freedom and autonomy with negligible social risk-taking.

Keywords : death; loneliness; palliative care; patients; COVID-19.

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