Should govt quarantine people who have worked on Ebola patients?

[Little-Acorn]

If there is no way to determine if the workers have Ebola themselves, then yes, the govt certainly does need to quarantine them for a period equal to the incubation time of the disease, which is apparently three weeks. One of the proper functions of government is to protect it citizens from deadly threats. And Ebola is so consistently fatal to most people who get it, that it certainly qualifies as such a deadly threat.

Most people who worked on Ebola patients will not have the disease, but a few might. Since the disease is so deadly (70% fatality rate) and incurable, as well as contagious, the govt cannot allow them to have contact with others until we can be SURE they don't have the disease themselves. And if the only way to determine that, is to let the disease (if any) run its course until overt symptoms can be expected, then the conclusion is inevitable.

BUT... is that the only way to tell if a returning aid worker has the disease?

I thought doctors have tests to determine if a patient has Ebola. I've heard (sorry, no link) that there is a standard test, which takes around two days to produce its result. And at that point, you know that the patient has Ebola, or that he does not have it.

If we do indeed have such tests, and if they can be relied upon for accuracy (no person who really has Ebola, ever produces a "clean" result) , then why do we need to quarantine all returning aid workers for three weeks? Why can't we simply give all returning aid workers this test, keep them isolated for two days, and then quarantine (and hopefully treat) only those whom the test says have Ebola? What's the point of quarantining someone whom the test says definitely doesn't have the disease (if the test is reliable)?

In fact, isn't there a new test, that produces its result in only ten minutes? How accurate and reliable is that test? If it says someone doesn't have Ebola, can we be SURE they definitely don't? How thoroughly vetted and proven is that 10-minute test?

Here's a link where they talk about that 10-minute test. But it says the test isn't reliable: it tests for Ebola in the blood, while Ebola doesn't exist in the blood in patients who are in the early stages of infection. It exists in the tissues at first. Only later, about when the patient starts feeling sick, do virus particles start showing up in the blood.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/10/28/359567808/blood-test-for-ebola-doesnt-catch-infection-early

Should government quarantine aid workers who have worked on Ebola patients?

If there is no RELIABLE way to tell if the worker has Ebola, then yes, government should quarantine them all for the incubation period (three weeks). And it DOES have the power to do so.

But if there is a reliable way to determine in a few days that the worker has (or does not have) Ebola, then government should quarantine them for only as long as it takes to run that test and produce the result. Then people who definitely don't have the disease (hopefully that's most of them), should be released from quarantine immediately.

[Jeff]

The Government shouldn't really need to, most of these folks helping are in the medical field and should put themselves into a 21 day quarantine just knowing the risk , but as that woman in NJ has done, it just proves these people are wanting there 10 seconds of fame and could really care less abouth the oath they took.

[Jeff]

IMO the Government should step in and put this woman in isolation, she should of herself but she is that irresponsible, this is a deadly disease that we don't have all the answers about why take chances, but being she refuses to listen to the Gov yes they should lock her selfish butt up



(CNN) -- The boyfriend of a Maine nurse who defied an Ebola quarantine is speaking out, saying isolating returnees from West Africa will affect their partners as well.
Nurse Kaci Hickox recently returned to the United States after treating Ebola patients in Sierra Leone. She's been in a tense standoff with state authorities, who want her to stay home for 21 days -- the incubation period for the deadly virus.
Hickox says she is healthy and has no symptoms and forcing her to stay home is unconstitutional.
Her boyfriend, Ted Wilbur, says significant others are affected too.


http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/31/health/us-ebola/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

[Trigg]

Both of the hospitals nuc and I work for have put into place procedures to follow if an ebola patient comes in. They include a mandatory 21 day self quarantine away from work.

Since ebola symptoms mimic that of the flu we have been told that anyone who presents with those symptoms AND has traveled or been around someone who has traveled to an infected country will be isolated in one room of the ER.

[revelarts]

In Nigeria they had health workers visit, EVERYDAY, for 30 days those that had been in contact with Ebola victims. They took their temps and did other simple test, EVERYDAY.
And quarantined those that had some symptoms of any illness for 30 days. Most of those went home after that time.

They also promoted extra hygiene to the WHOLE population. Diligent Hand washing, cleaning up counters, covering face from sneezes etc extra vigilance.

None of the panic and fear mongering that we have here, just practical and serious efforts to deal with it.
they've been declared Ebola free now by W.H.O..

[aboutime]

Quarantine OBAMA. Prevent him from setting foot on ANY Golf Courses!

[KarlMarx]

There is a strain of brain wasting virus making the rounds, it seems to afflict supporters of the current president. They apparently continue to support him despite the increasing evidence of his failure as a leader. The CDC is considering having them all quarantined in a room where Rush Limbaugh's daily radio show is being played...

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[grannyhawkins]

Where I work, anybody that is genuinely sick with a cold, a flu, stomach virus, or anything thought to be communicable, is encouraged to stay home and they give you days for just that. Nobody wants to be sick, so why come to work an pass around your misery.

I just don't think ebola is anything to be taken lightly and my employer has set up certain protocols, as we deal with the healthcare industry and large population centers and we have people comin an goin from certain areas. I've seen first hand the comins an goins, internationally of Africans to and from the states, all ya gotta do is look around!!! Dallas is not the exception!!!

[DLT]

If there is no way to determine if the workers have Ebola themselves, then yes, the govt certainly does need to quarantine them for a period equal to the incubation time of the disease, which is apparently three weeks. One of the proper functions of government is to protect it citizens from deadly threats. And Ebola is so consistently fatal to most people who get it, that it certainly qualifies as such a deadly threat.

Most people who worked on Ebola patients will not have the disease, but a few might. Since the disease is so deadly (70% fatality rate) and incurable, as well as contagious, the govt cannot allow them to have contact with others until we can be SURE they don't have the disease themselves. And if the only way to determine that, is to let the disease (if any) run its course until overt symptoms can be expected, then the conclusion is inevitable.

BUT... is that the only way to tell if a returning aid worker has the disease?

I thought doctors have tests to determine if a patient has Ebola. I've heard (sorry, no link) that there is a standard test, which takes around two days to produce its result. And at that point, you know that the patient has Ebola, or that he does not have it.

If we do indeed have such tests, and if they can be relied upon for accuracy (no person who really has Ebola, ever produces a "clean" result) , then why do we need to quarantine all returning aid workers for three weeks? Why can't we simply give all returning aid workers this test, keep them isolated for two days, and then quarantine (and hopefully treat) only those whom the test says have Ebola? What's the point of quarantining someone whom the test says definitely doesn't have the disease (if the test is reliable)?

In fact, isn't there a new test, that produces its result in only ten minutes? How accurate and reliable is that test? If it says someone doesn't have Ebola, can we be SURE they definitely don't? How thoroughly vetted and proven is that 10-minute test?

Here's a link where they talk about that 10-minute test. But it says the test isn't reliable: it tests for Ebola in the blood, while Ebola doesn't exist in the blood in patients who are in the early stages of infection. It exists in the tissues at first. Only later, about when the patient starts feeling sick, do virus particles start showing up in the blood.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/10/28/359567808/blood-test-for-ebola-doesnt-catch-infection-early

Should government quarantine aid workers who have worked on Ebola patients?

If there is no RELIABLE way to tell if the worker has Ebola, then yes, government should quarantine them all for the incubation period (three weeks). And it DOES have the power to do so.

But if there is a reliable way to determine in a few days that the worker has (or does not have) Ebola, then government should quarantine them for only as long as it takes to run that test and produce the result. Then people who definitely don't have the disease (hopefully that's most of them), should be released from quarantine immediately.

A mandatory quarantine period for those that have had direct contact with Ebola is a no-brainer. Anyone that refuses that quarantine cares nothing for anyone else but themselves and should be treated as one would treat a child or a teenager. Since they would freely endanger others, they should be "grounded".

[DLT]

There is a strain of brain wasting virus making the rounds, it seems to afflict supporters of the current president. They apparently continue to support him despite the increasing evidence of his failure as a leader. The CDC is considering having them all quarantined in a room where Rush Limbaugh's daily radio show is being played...

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

Now that is a punishment (fit for the crime) that I'd love to witness....lol.

[jimnyc]

Where I work, anybody that is genuinely sick with a cold, a flu, stomach virus, or anything thought to be communicable, is encouraged to stay home and they give you days for just that. Nobody wants to be sick, so why come to work an pass around your misery.

I just don't think ebola is anything to be taken lightly and my employer has set up certain protocols, as we deal with the healthcare industry and large population centers and we have people comin an goin from certain areas. I've seen first hand the comins an goins, internationally of Africans to and from the states, all ya gotta do is look around!!! Dallas is not the exception!!!

I worked at a huge law firm in NYC. If you came in, and gave off any hint that you were sick with something others could remotely catch, you were sent home. Nobody wanted to catch what they had, and spreading the illness would potentially harm the companies bottom dollar if more then called in sick.

To answer the question, I think people should be quarantined for the 21 days if they return from an infected country from West Africa. I don't care if it's a doctor or just someone that was on vacation. No one gets to infect others simply because they feel they would somehow be violated if they had to be quarantined for a few weeks. Tough shit, you'll live, and now others will be guaranteed of the same.

Seems even the CDC and WHO don't even know everything for sure, 100%. What we DO know is that the incubation period is 21 days. Better to be safe than sorry.

[grannyhawkins]

All ya gotta do is a search on airborne ebola an check it out for youself, unless you wanna take the official government response at face value. The same face that tells us all those antibiotics in our milk are fine and pesticide residue in our crops are A-OK, or the face that allows contaminated dog food from china in ta kill our pets, or toxic toothpaste from the same country. Or the other face that markets and approves those wonderful pharmaceuticals, like vioxx, posicor, baycol, or avastin, among others.