Quarantine, or not?

No one in the general population of the US has been diagnosed with Ebola, despite the well publicised public interactions of several individuals who have been diagnosed with the disease. So it appears that the science behind the CDC's approach to protection of the general public is valid.

However, there has been much concern, and related expense, both to the government and to private individuals, associated with those public interactions.

Should the concern and related expense be ignored as the result of 'ignorance' on the part of the public, or should it be considered along with the 'science' in governmental response to Ebola?

I think it should be considered, and I do not believe that quarantine of those who have been exposed to Ebola, either in the US or in West Africa, is unreasonable. I disagree with the actions of Dr. Craig Spencer, nurse Kaci Hickox, and the NBC news team, who refused to self quarantine. I think that mandatory quarantine is perfectly reasonable and appropriate.

1) If you had been exposed to Ebola patients in Africa, wouldn't you want go through quarantine before you returned to your family and friends?
2) Currently private nurses and doctors aren't being required to go through a quarantine per the Feds, but US soldiers serving in the hot zone will be quaratined for 21 days outside the US.


Sidebar: Good news! Liberia thinks Ebola infection rates are falling.

jf1acai wrote: No one in the general population of the US has been diagnosed with Ebola, despite the well publicised public interactions of several individuals who have been diagnosed with the disease. So it appears that the science behind the CDC's approach to protection of the general public is valid.

However, there has been much concern, and related expense, both to the government and to private individuals, associated with those public interactions.

Should the concern and related expense be ignored as the result of 'ignorance' on the part of the public, or should it be considered along with the 'science' in governmental response to Ebola?

I think it should be considered, and I do not believe that quarantine of those who have been exposed to Ebola, either in the US or in West Africa, is unreasonable. I disagree with the actions of Dr. Craig Spencer, nurse Kaci Hickox, and the NBC news team, who refused to self quarantine. I think that mandatory quarantine is perfectly reasonable and appropriate.

I was APPALLED when I heard the information regarding the UNthinking actions of Spencer (gets back to integrity doesn't it?)...I believe exercising an abundance of caution is prudent and called for. I also believe that SOME very intelligent and knowledgeable scientists,micro biologists do NOT believe this
can not be airbourne,there was a lack of transparency/credibility from the onset (by the CDC) and I believe they are playing catch up in a very real sense.

EBOLA essentially dissolves critical organs in the host body......few jpegs on line for good reason.....and NONE in the mass Sheepel media. That said ALL medical professionals who are not self centered would isolate upon return to USA......The US ARMY general set the standard in Italy and isolated himself and 10 staff upon return to civilization. The nurse in Main actions speak volumes about the health care people......the Doctor exposed possibly hundreds to his EBOLA and he may well die soon......amazed.

We have, at the current time, a provision for holding people who are potentially a harm to themselves or others for 72 hours while they are examined. To hold them longer requires proving to a court of law that there are reasonable grounds to hold them longer. I don't think it permissible to simply declare someone in quarantine for 21 days absent due process of law. Following this existing, and established, provision seems, to be, a better course to follow than what is being done currently.

I disagree PS. There is a large body of evidence that shows the incubation time for ebola is 21 days. Yes, there are those that disagree, but there is not time to hash out the legal particulars when we're dealing with a potential epidemic. Quarantines have been used in the past to successfully mitigate epidemics. I'm all for having the government make their 21 days as comfortable as possible, but I would hope that people could see the logic of being safe rather than sorry. If the nurse in Maine does come down with it, I think criminal charges should be filed against her. I'm no lawyer, but I would think that willfully spreading a known deadly virus would be considered some kind of assault.

I understand the incubation period is 21 days, I just disagree that you can lawfully hold someone against their will for that period of time absent due process of law. Scoop her up, then start building the case for holding her for the other 18 days and present it to a judge in a court of law. If the judge agrees that there is, indeed, reason to hold her for the period of incubation, then the matter has been settled in accordance with our established procedures. Absent that, all we are doing is establishing another means under which the government can give itself permission to do whatever it is they damned well please whenever they damned well please to do it. That, to me, is the greater threat long term.

We can ask that people quarantine themselves for 21 days, we can stipulate going forward that anyone who decides to treat the disease at its source will be subject to a quarantine upon their return and allow them to decide if they still wish to go, but to subject those who went absent that agreement to an involuntary quarantine upon their return in denial of their due process rights shouldn't be allowed to happen.

Got it... Then we're agreeing. I hope they get the court order to force her to stay isolated very soon. Then she can file suit to block it while remaining isolated.

nypost.com/2014/10/29/cdc-admits-droplet...-could-spread-ebola/

OH MY WHAT A SURPRISE!....woefully behind on EVERY aspect of this issue...WTF

Seems ALL here on this little board agree that the responsible action is to isolate in order to protect the nurses "loved ones - yeah, right" . There is no doubt she will sell her story to the talking heads on CNN......common, did I say, COMMON practice today.

IF anyone wants to walk the talk .....get on a plane and go visit this wing nut. Good fortune. I am sure nobody here has the guts.