Not so fast with that triage plan

Re: “Patient care rules decided,” April 6 news story; and “Triage guides will save more patients with disabilities,” April 8 commentary

Everyone does not receive equal treatment in the United States. This gets inscribed as policy when triage guidelines are set up in

Gov. Jared Polis’ Expert Emergency Epidemic Response Committee’s rules. The list of criteria for who gets life-saving treatment among COVID-19 patients during the peak period of the disease is long enough that one wonders whether overworked health workers will have time to gather and access so much data on each patient. On the list of criteria triage teams would consider is “how many life years” could be saved. Seniors may now think that they will have little chance of receiving life-saving emergency treatment during the peak of the disease.

The experts covered all the bases and then some in the effort to make sure no one is discriminated against due to “race, ethnicity, ability to pay, disability status, national origin, primary language, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, HIV status, religion, veteran status, ‘VIP’ status, and criminal history.” Age is not included in this list. Many seniors support younger family members (in many ways), but unless they are the sole financial support, this doesn’t count.

Also, seniors often spend their later years volunteering for the community.

The point is, no one is more expendable than anyone else for any reason. Contrary to what the authors of the guest commentary assert, the implications of setting up a hierarchal vetting system lead me to conclude “first come, first served” is a more ethical and maybe easier system in an unacceptable and unquantifiable situation.

Cornelia Hall, Denver