We are at the tip of an unethical iceberg. In April 2020, companies were marketing fake Corona virus “immunity passports.” The idea was presumably to sell them to those who had the disease and now carry antibodies.
In case one is shown to you, immediately run away. There are no immunity passports. It is not legal and not linked to any database or validation service.
As this is an ethical blog and not a virology forum, I have no idea if antibodies protect one from a recurrence of the disease. Some say yes, some say no, “some” being the operative word for journalists and cable news talking heads who speak with “experts” who are claiming to be in the know. There is a consensus the antibodies in the serum of one patient may help lessen the symptoms in another. Right now, the real scientists are hedging their bets as to how long the immunity may last.
Even if, the antibodies offered complete immunity, how would you tell who is immune? In our daily, masked, socially-distanced lives, would any of us trust a random stranger who walks up to us, shakes our hand and says, “Don’t worry, I had it, and here’s my ‘passport’ to prove it?”
Doubtful, at best.
The Next Logical Step
Americans are a bold (often too bold), entrepreneurial bunch who will seize an opportunity when it comes along. It can be a great quality or a disaster. In any case, Martin Eaton is one of those people.
Martin Eaton is emblematic of what is good and bad about the American entrepreneurial spirit. Eaton owns an Airbnb rental in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn, New York. He went to a legitimate testing site and found out he had antibodies. He immediately embraced his good fortune as a money-maker.
On the Airbnb website, when describing his property, the “Williamsburg Penthouse Guestroom,” he added that he was an “IMMUNE HOST” in the title of the listing.
Airbnb promptly suspended his account for essentially what was an unethical and fraudulent claim.
Indeed, Airbnb has developed a policy to that very effect:
“Airbnb hosts may not reference COVID-19, coronavirus or quarantine in listing titles.” It also includes any “promises that hosts or listings are not impacted by or exposed to COVID-19.”
Eaton, who was bruised but not deterred said:
“If I was having to travel to New York, I’d prefer staying with somebody who had the antibodies versus somebody who didn’t. It’s proved pretty successful.” Meaning, of course, that he did “rent” to others who felt more secure with Eaton’s antibody status.
In other news, before I go back to Eaton, there are indeed listings in singles ads where prospective dates have also boasted of being “immune.” After all, they too claim medical tests and/or immunity passports touting their complete immunity. Should they be trusted?
Golden Opportunity?
Now that there is a vaccine available, this blog may appear to be a bit of trivia from a dark age of medical history. Unfortunately, it is a classic example of fraud and the dangers of opportunists in a time of panic. History is replete with medical fraud, from miracle homeopathic cancer cures to prayer beads.
The fact is, Martin Eaton may tout his immunity all he would like, but there is no guarantee that his guests will never come into contact with the virus in the room itself. In fact, there are no guarantees that his guests are free of the disease before they enter his establishment. For example, if an asymptomatic couple stays in Eaton’s rental from Monday to Thursday, coughing or sneezing and ‘shedding’ the virus, and another couple free of the virus enter and stay in the room from Thursday night to Sunday, what guarantees of protection do they have? In a word, “none.”
Eaton implies that because he has antibodies, his guests are completely safe. That is a huge leap, and an unethical one.
Far better if Martin Eaton were to say, “After any guest leaves, I do not rent the room for 24 hours to allow me to scrupulously wash, scrub and sanitize every inch of the room.” In other words, kind of what we expect, make that demand, from hotels.
As the COVID-19 scenario plays out, fraud will find its way in. Rationalizations will abound as the need for money or power or even social needs rise. We will get through this, but it is wise to let ethics be your guide.
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