OREGON’S RESPONSE TO COVID-19: APPROACHES AND OUTCOMES TO DIAGNOSTIC TESTING
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Date
2021
Authors
Fellman, Dimitra
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
When the SARS-CoV-2 virus first emerged in December 2019, there were no vaccines or treatments, making diagnostic testing the foremost public health tool for combating viral transmission. The United States’ decentralized response meant state and sub-state level entities took divergent approaches to collecting and reporting testing data; acquiring and distributing testing supplies; and determining who should receive available tests. This thesis assesses how appropriately the State of Oregon and its public health department, the Oregon Health Authority, approached COVID-19 testing. Since key roles of public health include providing services for the underserved, promoting health equity, and generating data for political decision-making and public consumption, assessing Oregon’s response involves investigating whether the state responded ethically—addressing disparities in COVID-19 testing—and suitably generated and communicated testing-related data. Drawing on ethnographic literature concerning data creation, existing ethical frameworks, and literature discussing ethical resource allocation during global disease outbreaks, I argue that testing data was misconstrued by the Oregon public and misused by state public health and political officials because the context and process by which data was generated was not fully communicated or appreciated. I also argue that the distribution of testing supplies and diagnostic tests was unethical because distribution to health care providers, counties, and communities was not based on proportionate need and because existing barriers to accessing diagnostic tests were not reduced in a way that facilitated proportionate distribution. These findings suggest long-term investments in public health systems are essential for ensuring an appropriate response to pandemics and everyday health promotion.
Description
157 pages
Keywords
public health, covid-19, pandemic, emergency, ethics