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Contagion

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Contagion is a movie based on a deadly virus, MEV-1, which spreads around the world in a matter of days (Shamberg, Sher, Jacobs & Soderbergh, 2011). The premise is that the MEV-1 virus is spread person-to-person via airborne droplets produced by sneezes or coughs, as well as by viruses deposited on fomites, such as glasses, doorknobs, peanuts, and so on. The virus circles the globe in a matter of days, causing coughs, fevers and seizures as scientists from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) scramble to identify the pathogen and develop a vaccine. MEV-1 is presented to the audience as a pandemic. During a pandemic preserving the functionality of society is a priority (Gostin, 2008). Contagion raises a host of ethical dilemmas such as paternalism, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice.
The prospect of encountering a deadly pandemic such as that in Contagion, can create an overwhelming healthcare and community concern. The preparation for and response to an unusual turn of events of this magnitude requires goals that aim to benefit the community, as a whole. This involves an ethical viewpoint based on utilitarianism, with a primary focus on the good of the community, as opposed to the typical medical ethical view that focuses on the individual autonomy of patients. Ethics based on this notion of utility will most indeed pose a conflict between the community and the health of the individuals who make up that community. This paper will consider the moral issues from a public health viewpoint presented in the movie Contagion.
The basis for determining how to address and contain the MEV-1 virus relies on a utilitarian view. The primary belief of those who have adopted the utilitarian position is that the most ethical action is the one that results in the greatest good for the greatest number; the most

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