Maine nurse won't observe Ebola quarantine - your take?

[steveh_131]

I don't think I'm a "sky is falling" but I'm in the camp that thinks this nurse should voluntarily limit her contact to a few people.

I agree with you entirely. That would be the decent thing to do.

The "tens of thousands" number of flu deaths needs to be taken in context. Many of the fatalities are people with other conditions. The number of times that flu actually hastened the death of someone is highly questionable. Flu also spreads so rapidly, even during the incubation period, that quarantine methods are a lot less valuable. In a severe flu outbreak, you would probably have to home-quarantine the entire population to even think you are controlling the spread.

Nevertheless, if I know I have influenza I voluntarily stay home. Even if we wouldn't control it completely, keeping an infected person away from others still impacts how many people are exposed.

If the government has any businesses forcing quarantines with Ebola then it should do the same with influenza.

 

[target64]

What is the big deal? If she has Ebola and spreads it around, then people can actually act as their favorite Walking Dead character

 

[jamil]

I haven't read the whole thread so I'm probably duplicating others' thoughts. I hope.

1. She seems to be making this into some kind of political statement. But that's what free people get to do. For all her whining, she's bringing the point to a head. It's out there now and it is being debated.
2. She should not be detained without due process. What authority or process says that the FAPB (fat ass puss bag) can just detain her because he says so?
3. She should do the responsible thing, which is, simply let the authorities be aware of her whereabouts, and present herself to the proper place promptly at the first sign of symptoms.
4. It's not absurd that people are apprehensive about people who've possibly been in contact with people who have Ebola. It also seems prudent to have a plan on how to handle people coming back that respects their rights, keeps people safe, and calms people's apprehensions.

 

[dusty88]

If the government has any businesses forcing quarantines with Ebola then it should do the same with influenza.

I'm always in favor of sticking to our principles when we can. In the case of someone carrying or using an environmental contaminant, one person's right to life can conflict with another person's liberty. If someone is highly sensitive to a common food item or personal item (ie peanuts, perfume, etc) it is generally considered that person's responsiblity to avoid the offending agent. If, however, 90% of the population were sensitive to a substance, it becomes considered a toxin. In the case of some infections or substances, one person can be going about their daily business successfully while carrying that substance around and causing problems for others. I don't like it when rule of the majority affects the rights of the minority, but in the cases of infections, SOMEBODY's rights are being affected. We tolerate flu virus floating around partially because it would affect the rights of too many people to enforce a quarantine. It also would make the economy and society as we know it pretty much non-existent because we would spend all of our time trying to figure out who has an airborne infection or who might be incubating it.

Quarantining the flu effectively would be like the movie Contagion. Everybody is quarantined until you can disprove yourself. That isn't the case with Ebola. We know who has been exposed to a sick patient. And that does not extend to some hyperbole like currently quarantining Ms Hickox's boyfriend.

 

[KLB]

I'll bite. I don't think I'm a "sky is falling" but I'm in the camp that thinks this nurse should voluntarily limit her contact to a few people.

Isn't that what she is doing?

 

[Vigilant]

Looks like a judge has issued an order for her quarantine, on Yahoo news now, can't link because of spotty connection!

 

[T.Lex]

Consider this scenario:

Federal Health Enforcement Officer - "Mr. Rambone,* thank you for meeting with me here at the hospital."
Rambone - "No problem, you asked nicely. Plus, it was on my way to the monthly Libertarian Party fish fry and pigeon shoot."
FHEO - "Yes, about that, we're going not going to be able to let you leave."
R - "Uh... come again?"
FHEO - "Yes, well, we have reason to believe you've come in contact with someone with an infectious disease."
R - "Who?"
FHEO - "Well, we can't tell you, due to medical privacy laws."
R - "Where?"
FHEO - "Yeah, we can't tell you that, either. Same reason. If we told you where or when, you might figure it out."
R - "Ok, well what might I have?"
FHEO - "Well, we need to run some tests. We can't tell you what we're looking for - medical privacy - but we'll tell you if we find it."
R - "What if I refuse the tests?"
FHEO, giggling a little - "Why would you do that? Actually, it doesn't matter. Technically, we could force you to be tested. But, we're giving people the choice - either be tested or be forced into the quarantine. Basically, we'll just assume you have it if you don't get tested."
R - "Ok, so if I test negative, I can leave?"
FHEO - "Actually, no. Even if you test negative, we'll keep you quarantined and test you until the quarantine period is over."
R - "So let me get this straight, you'll quarantine me for the same period of time whether I'm tested or not, and whether I'm positive or not."
FHEO, giggling a little - "No, that'd be silly! If you test negative for the whole time, the quarantine period is actually 1 day shorter."
R - "How long is the quarantine period?"
FHEO - "That's a good question. It is either 21 days, 30 days, or 50 days."
R - "What's the difference?"
FHEO - "Well, we used to have it at 21 days. But then, some authorities decided 30 days, just to be sure. Then, some scientists came out and said it might actually take 50 days to be clear of the infection."
R - "So, you can't actually tell me how long the quarantine is?"
FHEO - "Well, we can tell you it will be at least 21 days and no more than 50 days. For now."
R - "I want to talk to my lawyer."
FHEO - "Yeah, that's probably not a good idea. Lots of people will think you're hiding the fact you're infected and trying to infect other people."
R - "I don't care, I want my lawyer."
FHEO - "Well, you may not care, but we do. Things like that could trigger a panic that our system isn't capable of handling."
R - "So, I can't have a lawyer?"
FHEO - "Oh, sure, you can have a lawyer as soon as you get out of quarantine."
R - "I need to call my boss."
FHEO - "Oh - don't worry about that. We've taken care of all that. We've made sure to tell your employer and family that you are in federal protection for something we can't tell them about. They're perfectly good with it. Didn't even bat an eyelash. In fact," (checking his notes) "your mom said she's surprised it took us this long. What do you think she meant by that?"

Ok, a bit farcical... but... is it really?

* Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

 

[T.Lex]

Looks like a judge has issued an order for her quarantine, on Yahoo news now, can't link because of spotty connection!

Actually - reporting now is that judge rejected request for quarantine:
My Way News - Judge rejects Ebola quarantine for nurse

[FONT=Verdana,Sans-serif]Judge Charles C. LaVerdiere ruled Hickox must continue daily monitoring and coordinate travel with state health officials to ensure continuity of monitoring. The judge said there's no need to restrict her movements because she's not infectious because she's showing no symptoms.[/FONT]

 

[Cameramonkey]

I say offer her quarantine. Then if she refuses and infects somebody, she's criminally liable as she was warned and offered a solution that would prevent spreading infection. If she develops symptoms and One or more die and it can be proven beyond a resonable doubt that they caught it from her, (and she lives) she should be tried in court for their deaths. After all, if she acted irresponsibly and directly caused the deaths of others, she should be punished.

I see this no differently than one of us being tried for murder because we were told that guns were dangerous and not to point it at things we didnt want to destroy, and instead we said "Meh. I'm OK. I know what I'm doing. I wont kill anyone." and then accidentally shot somebody while playing around pointing it at things we dont want to destroy.

 

[Libertarian01]

To All,

A different link: Judge eases limits on nurse who treated Ebola patients | Reuters

Great news! For once freedom, liberty and respect for our Constitutionally protected rights wins over fear-mongering and media induced hysteria!



Regards,

Doug

 

[Expat]

I guess we are going to let people coming from the ebola areas of Africa roam at will until we get a few people who actually contract the disease. I would imagine we will tighten things up after that. It will suck for the people who get it, but I guess that is what is going to be required.

 

[2ADMNLOVER]

Great news! For once freedom, liberty and respect for our Constitutionally protected rights wins over fear-mongering and media induced hysteria!

If one of your loved ones gets ebola please post about the experience so we can all revel in how great THAT news would be .

 

[terrehautian]

She is not contagious when not showing symptoms, she cannot give the virus to anyone at this point. You cannot get it airborne. If there was no reporters around here, stalking her, there might be the two state troopers (maybe not even them) in a car that she might came into contact to with her hour long bike ride. It isn't like she lives in New York City where millions of people live.

 

[findingZzero]

From time to time the roots of liberty must be nourished with the bodily fluids of infectious
patriots

 

[Libertarian01]

If one of your loved ones gets ebola please post about the experience so we can all revel in how great THAT news would be .

Will do chief!

I will even include pneumonia, which kills 40,000 - 70,000 each year in the United States. Link: Rx for Survival . Deadly Diseases . Pneumonia | PBS

I will also include tuberculosis, which kills 2,000,000 each year worldwide, is highly contagious, and killed 536 in the United States in 2011. Links: WHO: Tuberculosis CDC | TB | Fact Sheets | Trends in Tuberculosis ? United States

I will even include MRSA, which killed 18,000 in the United States in 2005. Heck, MRSA infected 94,000 and killed 18,650, which gives it a lethality in the United States of a whopping 19.84%. Link: More U.S. Deaths From MRSA Than AIDS

I have a llloooooonnnnnnggggggggg way to go before I due to a person who has NO PROOF WHATSOEVER she is even infected, let alone contagious. I will leave the panic to the sheep who aren't even aware of the threat posed by the three (3) real American and worldwide killers I have listed above...

Regards,

Doug

 

[mrjarrell]

So, how many times does she have to be medically cleared before the politicians and panic stricken masses will let her live her life? She's been cleared twice now, by people that actually have experience and degrees in medicine, unlike reporters and INGO members. She doesn't have ebola, why should she abide by some asshats quarantine?

 

[orangeITguy]

It's a disease that's deadly in a large portion of healthy people. I'm pretty sure it would just outright kill me. She, as a person, is potentially deadly to me, and I seriously don't appreciate that. I can see not liking a quarantine, but I would personally never inflict potential death on people. I could chill in a hotel room for a month. She needs to stand down, and if she won't stay in a room with a nurse on duty, she needs to be in a cell.

Couldnt of said it better myself.

 

[churchmouse]

If one of your loved ones gets ebola please post about the experience so we can all revel in how great THAT news would be .

"FOR LIBERTY"

 

[Denny347]

Thus the reason for the quarantine. Everything we hear does not match what the talking heads are telling us. Why did the bowling alley have to be closed if it requires direct body contact with fluids that are only dangerous for a brief time? Why did the airplane have to be taken out of service to be cleaned several flights later?

My wife is a nurse and this morning as the Red Headed Witch flashed across the TV news my wife used the "C" word to describe her. I think I have only heard her use that word a couple of times in all the years we have been married and that was to refer to my ex-wife.

Because the public demands it regardless if it is needed. You think the airline could say that the plane was never taken out of service? Or the bowling alley need not shut down? It makes the public "feel good".

 

[Denny347]

On a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being "safe as a baby in his mother's arms", and 1 being "TEOTWAWKI", where does "pretty safe" fall?

Well, we are much more likely to be killed in a car crash and we are never a "10" since living is dangerous. I say a "normal" 7.