Adam, SumaiyaLindeque, B. GerhardSoma-Pillay, Priya2021-03-242021-03-242020-05Adam, S., Lindeque, G. & Soma-Pillay, P. 2020, 'Bioethics and self-isolation : what about low-resource settings?', South African Medical Journal, vol. 110, no. 5, pp. 350-352.0256-9574 (print)2078-5135 (online)10.7196/SAMJ.2020. v110i5.14733http://hdl.handle.net/2263/79072Healthcare workers have both an obligation to their individual patients and a long-recognised public health responsibility. In the context of infectious disease, such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, this duty may include the use of quarantine and isolation to reduce the transmission of disease to protect the health of the public. Furthermore, doctors have a responsibility to protect their own health to ensure that they are able to provide necessary care. These responsibilities may lead to conflict between patients’ rights of self-determination and doctors’ duty to advocate for the best interests of individual patients and to provide care in emergencies.en© 2019, South African Medical Association. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial Works License (CC BY-NC 3.0).PatientsTransmissionHealthcare workers (HCWs)Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)COVID-19 pandemicArticle