The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to face many uncomfortable realities. As critical care physicians, my colleagues and I work in intensive care units (ICUs) that have grown to accommodate the large numbers of patients who have become seriously ill from COVID-19 during the past year. However, the specter of scarcity has been looming. We know that a day may come when there are not enough ICU beds or ventilators for all the patients who need them. In such a situation, how will hospitals fairly choose who gets access to these scarce resources, knowing that the patients who are turned away may die?
