COVID-19: The Etiology and Physical, Psychological and Ethical Ramifications of the Novel Coronavirus

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic was first reported in Wuhan, China in December of 2019 and it soon spread throughout China and to other countries. By March 2020, the first case of COVID-19 was reported in New York. COVID-19 has severely impacted the world’s economy, resulting in lockdowns in many countries, and has caused the deaths of over three million people as of April 21, 2021. This paper discusses COVID-19’s impact on the human body’s organ systems, the risk factors for people developing a severe case of COVID-19, and its impact on mental health from a Jewish perspective. Medical ethical dilemmas that arose during the pandemic will also be discussed from a Jewish perspective.