In the described foreign-epidemic scenario, is it ethically acceptable to randomly assign employees to use mosquito nets and compare incidence of the virus?

• A. Yes
• B. Not enough information
• C. It depends
• D. It is unethical

Answer: (D)

The situation tests whether it is acceptable to deny a protective measure to some participants in order to study its effect. In a setting where people are exposed to a virus via a vector, providing mosquito nets is a way to reduce harm. Randomly assigning some employees to use nets and others not to use nets means knowingly increasing risk for those who don’t receive the nets. That runs against the obligation to minimize harm and protect participants’ welfare.

Ethical research requires a favorable balance of risks and benefits, genuine equipoise about the intervention’s effectiveness, and careful attention to consent and power dynamics. Withholding a protective intervention in a context of exposure raises substantial risk and fairness concerns, and workplace participation can introduce coercion. Because these considerations are not satisfied here, this approach is not ethically acceptable.

So the best answer is that it is unethical.