Perspectives

Reflections on the Hippocratic Oath and Declaration of Geneva in Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Authors: Satyaseelan Packianathan, MD, Srinivasan Vijayakumar, MD, Paul Russell Roberts, MD, Maurice King, MD

Abstract

The entire world is confronting trying and uncertain times. We are in the era of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) and everyone is filled with questions—who, what, why, where, when, if, how, etc.—but the answers, at best, are piecemeal and superficial because much is unknown about this virus other than its membership in the family of coronaviruses and the toll it has already wrought. Coupled with the fear of infection and death is the concern about economic devastation for its survivors. Our healthcare providers—physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, paramedical workers, and the like—are facing unprecedented stress as caring for sick patients at work and their families and loved ones at home strains our familial and societal bonds.

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