Can a virus undermine human rights?

Paper by Olivier Nay. The Lancet. April 20, 2020.

Paper by Olivier Nay. The Lancet.

April 20, 2020.

Exceptional situations require exceptional measures. Faced with the magnitude of the health risks caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, national governments have had to quickly decide whether or not to declare a state of emergency to curb the spread of the disease.

Can exceptionality jeopardise some democratic principles in the long term? Could the epidemic lead to a reduction of individual rights after the peak of the crisis?

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