At the beginning of the pandemic in Italy, the country was inundated with critically ill patients. Overwhelmed by numbers and a lack of ventilator equipment, choices had to be made as to who would be given a chance to live, or who would be relegated to die.

Patient age became a factor. Arrival in an emergency room with gray hair might mean a death sentence. Frontline doctors and nurses suffered from agonizing PTSD as they had to make this Sophie’s Choice decision.

The United States quickly ratcheted up the availability of ventilators, mostly avoiding the problem, yet the older adult population now faced a possible threat to survival based on gray hair and age.

The Greatest Generation and Baby Boom generation have fought for the rights of fairness regardless of race, gender, religion, economic or educational background.

But age? These generations sacrificed for the freedoms and worldly position we now possess. And no doubt, many of us would give our place in the world to someone younger. In fairness, that should be our choice.

We must try our best to avoid this dilemma in the future. For the next pandemic, expect that there will not only be a shortage of toilet paper, but also of black hair dye.

Gene Uzawa Dorio, M.D., is a geriatric house-call physician who serves as president of the Los Angeles County Commission for Older Adults and Assemblyman to the California Senior Legislature. He has practiced in the Santa Clarita Valley for 32 years.