quote:

Originally posted by wtg:
I liked the way jon put it:

quote:

Triage based on survival probability, for which vaccination status would be an important factor but one of many.

But yes, it's gonna get ugly. People who are used to basically unfettered access to health care aren't going to be happy.

I agree. But jon's notion that this would be a horrible precedent reminds me of Benjamin Franklin's line about democracy ... it's the worst form of government ever invented by man, except for all the other ones.

ICU beds are full. Triage has to happen. You can decide on what basis the triage should happen, or you can let it happen mindlessly. It'll happen either way.

And survival probability really isn't a workable solution ... once someone is in an ICU, they won't get thrown out for someone who has a better chance of survival unless their chance of survival goes down to almost zero.

I personally would not feel better to allow random factors to control how that triage happens instead of making a deliberate decision. And yeah, the fact that people who are refusing to get vaccinated are putting everyone else at risk too factors into my thinking.

We have resource limitations and need to determine how to operate within those limitations. The doctors in Texas started to do that, and I'm pretty sure others are considering it also.

I agree that we need to consider the rules of triage now. But we're basically talking about a version of the death panel discussion...and we know how that went....

Fugly.

Besides the sad and ugly merits of the triage I propose (based on whether of not covid-sick patients were vaccine refuseniks), there's another advantage.

I think there's every chance that implementing it (with plenty of publicity) would go far towards getting more to decide to be vaccinated. A great plus for everyone.

Face it, the harsh penalty of being denied cutting edge treatment (if numbers dictate) after becoming sick with covid after having voluntarily refused to be vaccinated, is one which:
1) would have had plenty of warning
and
2) would be a consequence entirely within their control.