A 53-year-old Sydney doctor is one of the latest cases of coronavirus in Australia. Meanwhile, in China, thousands of healthcare workers have been infected with the virus. This article discusses whether healthcare professionals should be first in line for treatment.

It is mid-March 2020. James is a 29-year-old junior doctor working in a London hospital. Last week, James cared for a man who had become sick after returning from abroad. The man had been treated in isolation and is now improving.

However, James has since become unwell. He developed a cough and fever, but then rapidly became breathless.

James has been admitted to his own hospital with signs of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. Despite intensive treatment, James’s lungs are full of fluid and his oxygen levels are critically low. His kidneys have shut down, and his blood pressure is unstable.