New York, New York – The already heightened and sensitive issue politicians and scientists are currently discussing about Ebola amplified last Sunday as top infectious-disease experts warned that the existing 21-day mandatory Ebola quarantine of medical workers is inappropriate. Experts explained that such quarantining of health workers coming from West Africa can discourage other volunteers.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ director, Dr. Anthony Fauci stated that the services of such health care workers are essential in bringing urgent care and stopping the current epidemic in Africa. The director added that this is not the time to put such volunteers in a position that make them very uncomfortable to go.
Meanwhile, during a CNN telephone interview, the first nurse that was forcibly quarantined Kaci Hickox under the state’s policy in New Jersey, stated that her isolation situation l was “inhumane,” she added that politicians should be very careful when it comes to making health decisions particularly mandatory Ebola quarantine procedures.
New York governors also announced the implementation of similar quarantine programs last Friday as Jersey’s. Medical health workers and other airline passengers who may have been exposed to the Ebola virus in West Africa, is required to stay in urgent care clinics for 21 days as per incubation period of the Ebola virus. Soon after the state of Illinois followed and implemented the same procedures.
Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey defended last Sunday about the necessity of quarantining in order to protect their citizens and also predicted that mandatory Ebola quarantine procedures will also soon become a priority national policy.
Gov. Christie also stated that he doesn’t believe that a voluntary system in dealing with serious matters like Ebola will never work. He added that he is sure that quarantining such individuals in an urgent care clinic is an absolute must.
Dr. Fauci appeared last Sunday on five major morning talk shows and argued that the implementation of such policies should be driven and backed up by science. He added that science already proved that individuals with the Ebola virus are generally not contagious until its symptoms appear. The doctor also added that for infection to spread, it requires direct bodily fluid contact.
He added that it is sufficient to closely monitor for symptoms, and believe and trust such volunteers will go to urgent care near me immediately as soon as they suspect something is wrong. Fauci also warned that the current mandatory Ebola quarantine, which forces separation for a duration of three weeks, will certainly cripple the efforts against the current West Africa Ebola outbreak.
