Ethical Issues Raised by the SARS Outbreak in Toronto

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) was first recognized in Guangdong Province, China in November 2002. Subsequent to its introduction to Hong Kong in mid-February 2003, the virus spread to more than 30 countries infecting over 8,000 individuals across five continents. Toronto was particularly affected and SARS's outbreak there resulted in the emergence of five ethical issues in the following areas: isolation and quarantine, privacy and personal information, professional duty of care, collateral damage and the WHO's SARS-related Travel Advisory for Toronto. In this book each of those topics will be explored and the philosophy of the World's response to SARS will be discussed.