Is it ethically justifiable for an experienced, licensed, and competent health care worker to withdraw from his or her duties of care during a pandemic such as the current COVID-19 global health crisis? Self-isolation will help protect health care workers and their families from exposure to a highly infectious, communicable contagion such as SARS-CoV-2; however, a health care worker’s absence may result in patients’ not receiving needed care. Ultimately, this decision is a prudential one, which requires an understanding of moral principles, valid ethical reasoning, and accurate medical knowledge.
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