SC214 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Epicenter, Viral Hemorrhagic Fever
22 Oct 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Typhoid Mary and The Ethics of Quarantine
Isolation vs Quarantine
- Isolation: separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are
not sick
- Quarantine: Separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed
to a contagious disease to see if they become sick
*While isolation and quarantine serve as medical functions, they also function as police
power, the state having the ability to take action affecting individuals to protect society
Other options include:
- Self-monitoring
- Monitoring by others
- Voluntary self isolation
- Voluntary home-based quarantine
- Mandated quarantine
Ethics of Quarantine
- Individual liberty
- Privacy
- Protection of the public from harm
- Proportionality
- Protection of communities from undie stigmatization
- Duty to provide care
- Reciprocity- a communities obligation to provide support
- Equity
- Transparency- communicate reasons for their actions, allow for process of
appeal
- Solidarity
- There has to be clear scientific evidence that a disease spreads person-to-
person and that quarantine is a necessity to contain the disease
Document Summary
Isolation: separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick. Quarantine: separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick. *while isolation and quarantine serve as medical functions, they also function as police power, the state having the ability to take action affecting individuals to protect society. Reciprocity- a communities obligation to provide support. Transparency- communicate reasons for their actions, allow for process of appeal. There has to be clear scientific evidence that a disease spreads person-to- person and that quarantine is a necessity to contain the disease. The least restrictive means should be implemented. The goal of quarantine is to gain public trust and have voluntary cooperation. Produce copious amounts of bodily fluids with a high fever. Most infectious when patient is actively sick. No known cases of transmitting when asymptomatic. Cdc recommends monitor for symptoms if you"ve been exposed.
