Library of Congress. COVID-19 and Ethics: Disparity in Pandemics. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, -06-23, 2021. Video. https://www.loc.gov/item/2024697540/.
This source can be used to help students think about their role as citizens in today’s global economy. The presenters highlight the importance of ethical decision-making and civic engagement in addressing public health challenges, which can spark discussions on resource allocation, vaccine distribution, and public health measures.
This presentation is a great way to explore intersectionality, specifically the intersection of science and society during the pandemic. Students can use this video to explore the challenges of scientific research, the importance of clear communication, and ethical considerations in the US healthcare system.
Discussions about ethical considerations and disparities in COVID-19 infections have risen to prominence throughout this pandemic. The CDC has declared racism as a major public health issue as a result of the handling of the disease, and the impacts of COVID-19 have been notably unequal across race, education levels, and socioeconomic status. The Library of Congress has collaborated with two expert speakers to help provide the public with insights about the ethical dilemmas that have become increasingly more visible throughout the course of this pandemic.1
- The COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine rollouts uncovered many socioeconomic disparities worldwide. With the scarcity of resources such as ventilators, ICU beds, and vaccines, it was immediately clear that people of color were often left without, leading to a disproportionate amount of deaths even in the United States. Ethical decisions about who received these limited resources raised questions surrounding fairness, justice, and the value of different lives. While individuals and communities often saw these disparities firsthand, this was not a widely discussed topic in the media and could easily fly under the radar in communities not affected.
- The pandemic also brought issues of socioeconomic disparities in the healthcare system to the forefront. This video includes the research of two prominent researchers and educators in healthcare ethics, Dr. Jonathan Moreno and Dr. Harald Schmidt. In this conversation, they each present research on disparities in the healthcare system overall as well as how these disparities are connected to the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. The presentation ends with a question-and-answer section where the presenters and moderators engage in discussions on how to move forward and end the victim-blaming surrounding vaccination.
- What ethical dilemmas arose during the COVID-19 pandemic?
- How were decisions about resource allocation (e.g., ventilators, ICU beds, vaccines) made during the pandemic?
- What were the ethical challenges associated with vaccine hesitancy and misinformation?
- How did the pandemic exacerbate existing social and economic inequalities?
- What lessons can be learned from the ethical challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic to prepare for future public health crises?
- What are the long-term ethical implications of the pandemic for healthcare systems, social justice, and global health?
New Mexico Common Core Standards
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Speaking & Listening |
Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects |
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SL.11-12.2 Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.
SL.11-12.3: Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used.
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RH.11-12.2: Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
RH11-12.3: Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain.
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- Have students engage in rhetorical analysis of one or both presenters by having them identify the speaker’s purpose and intended audience, analyze the speaker’s tone and delivery, analyze rhetorical devices used, and evaluate the overall effectiveness of the speaker’s arguments. Students should seek to answer if the arguments presented are logically sound and supported by evidence. They should also look for fallacies or biases.
- Have students write an argumentative essay agreeing or disagreeing with the ethical perspectives presented in the video. Dr. Schmidt’s argument about changing the models used in determining risk level would be highly effective for this assignment. Students should support their argument with evidence and counterarguments. Alternatively, students could write a policy analysis in which they analyze a specific ethical dilemma related to the pandemic (e.g., vaccine distribution, resource allocation) and propose a policy solution. In their analysis, they should consider the ethical implications of their proposed policy.
Parents and/or administrators may object to using this source and topic in the classroom because of students’ sensitivity to trauma. The pandemic was traumatic for a lot of people, and revisiting lockdown times could be emotionally distressing for students. Students had diverse experiences during the pandemic, and some may be uncomfortable sharing personal stories or discussing sensitive topics.
The pandemic was also a very political time, especially in the United States. Discussions about it can lead to disagreements and divisions because of the topic’s political polarization. There is also the fear of stigmatization of individuals such as healthcare workers or people severely affected. A lot of misinformation surrounding the pandemic floated around the internet, and this may still shape ideas about the subject.
Links to resources for approaching those topics
- Handling Sensitive Topics. Resource guide for speaking with students about sensitive topics.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The COVID-19 resource from the CDC offers factual, updated information.
- World Health Organization. The COVID-19 resource from the WHO offers factual, updated information.
- No Play Today. An image of a closed playground, highlighting COVID-19 lockdowns.
- Precautions taken in Seattle, Wash., during the Spanish Influenza Epidemic would not permit anyone to ride on the street cars without wearing a mask. 260,000 of these were made by the Seattle Chapter of the Red Cross which consisted of 120 workers, in three days. This is an image from 1918 or 1919 showing the requirement of masks to ride public transit during the influenza epidemic.
- Pandemic Visit, COVID, barrier visit. Another image showing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically lockdowns and social distancing.
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A collection of resources teachers can use to teach about a pandemic.
- Kaiser Family Foundation. A collection of news articles and publications surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 22 YA Novels to Help Students Process the Pandemic (or Forget It for a Bit). A list from former school librarian Terri Grief, with a list of YA novels teachers can use in the classroom.