[Ethical connotations of the treatment of COVID-19 disease].

The current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought entirely new challenges to the health care professionals as well as to the general public, and together with them a number of new problems that the society needs to deal with. One of the groups of new challenges are undoubtedly ethical issues. For physicians in their daily practice, it is important to realize the significant role of ethical aspects during an epidemic or pandemic. The article aims to acquaint health care professionals with ethical principles in general, with their distinctiveness and application in the course of infectious diseases, and with the main ethical aspects of the COVID-19 treatment during the pandemic. One of the most important topics of the subject-matter experts discussions, which took place in connection with preparation of recommendations for the allocation criteria of scarce resources in the provision of health care services in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, is particularly the allocation of scarce resources based on age and discrimination. The intention of the article is to support healthcare professionals to fulfil their responsibilities in providing health care services in a professional and equitable way that does not conflict with any legal obligations.