Postmodernism and Utilitarianism during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Throwing Ourselves under the Bus

Abstract

The novel coronavirus pandemic is both shaped by and an agent of the postmodern, posttruth, utilitarian times we live in. It is associated with an overload of both information and mis-information with an increasing loss of the distinction between the two. The disconnect between governance and the health-care professions and the lack of a consensus within health-care professionals have left us ill equipped to offer a unified response to the pandemic. Further, the difficult decisions that we have to make in allocating scarce resources during this crucial period has thrown open health care's divides – between health-care providers and patients and within health-care professionals. With the global lockdown, economic, social and gender disparities have been highlighted in an unprecedented manner. There are no easy ways out of this crisis; however, I advocate for inclusivity and parity in decision-making to navigate bioethical and moral pitfalls.