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Once again, it is a nurse who has taken the Ebola media spotlight this week. Kaci Hickox, a nurse who cared for Ebola patients in Sierra Leone found herself quarantined against her will in New Jersey upon her return to the US, in spite of the fact that she tested negative for the virus. After a 3 day isolation in less than desirable accommodations, she was transported home where she was supposed to remain under home quarantine but is now declaring that the quarantine is unnecessary and counterproductive, and is openly defying the order by going out in public.
Additional breaches in voluntary quarantine from those returning from Ebola-plagued Africa occurred when NBC medical correspondent, Dr. Nancy Snyderman in New Jersey and Dr. Craig Spencer in New York left their homes and ventured out into public spaces.
On Monday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) called for voluntary home quarantine for workers with the highest risk for Ebola infection. It also specified that most medical personnel returning from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea would not need to be kept in isolation.
In spite of this, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, mandated a 21-day mandatory quarantine policy for all healthcare workers exposed to Ebola. Although this move has received much criticism, it did get the support of Dr. Bruce Beutler, an American doctor and researcher and Nobel Prize winner for Medicine and Physiology for his work researching the the body’s overall immune system. He is currently the Director of the Center for the Genetics of Host Defense at the University of Texas Southwestern Center in Dallas. He favors Christie’s quarantine policy “because it’s not entirely clear that they can’t transmit the disease,” referring to asymptomatic healthcare workers like Kaci Hickox.
New York and Illinois have also have followed suit and mandated mandatory 21-day home quarantine policies. Although there is plenty of scientific evidence indicating there’s very little chance that a random person will contract Ebola unless they touch bodily fluids of an infected person, the thought is that the authorities need to do something to calm Americans’ fears. As Mike Osterholm, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Minnesota, says, "You want to try to eliminate not just real risk, but perceived risk."
There are thoughts on both sides of this issue which has led to heated discussions at times. There are concerns about the potential impact with both pathways of re-entry requirements for Ebola healthcare workers. What are your thoughts about this? Please take our survey to share your opinions. Let your voice be heard.
OK, let's dissect my post. My initial post: "What happens if she goes to a crowded movie theater, feeling great, on day 19. A lot can happen in 2 hours. What if she leaves that theater with a high fever, feeling like crap? What if she feels so bad that she vomits in the lobby on the way out? This is not an impossible scenario, is it?"
Definition of a "declarative statement": A sentence in the form of a statement (in contrast to a command, a question, or an exclamation). I believe the above, which I posted, was in the form of a question, based upon the question mark at the end? (See, I did it again.)
This quote of mine, "However, you just don't know when, or if, those symptoms will arrive. To me, being extra cautious for 21 days isn't such a big deal, in the scope of things." Now this, indeed, is a declarative statement. But, it is just my opinion, and I would not jam it down anyone's throat, or get silly-nasty about it.
My brain keeps relating everything it hears about Ebola to our two neighbors who will be held in quarantine when they return from Africa where they spent nearly six weeks working with other physicians, with Doctors Without Borders. They give a month of their time every year to that program and Ebola would not be seen as a reason to stop. They have already stayed two weeks longer than originally scheduled because of the Ebola scare and when they do come home, they will undoubtedly face a quarantine just in case they brought the scourge home with them.
I imagine, thanks to Kaci, they won't be hijacked at the airport (unless they're symptomatic) and probably won't be quarantined. (Elections will be over soon.)
While I know that the risk of infection is slight, the general public that lives off 24 hr sensationalized news bites does not. I can empathize with her plight, but I don't agree with her blatant disregard of the quarantine policy. What happens when Joe Schmo comes into contact with ebola and ignores a quarantine mandate after being recognized as being at risk? Joe Schmo isn't a health care worker and doesn't realize he's happily spreading a nasty bug every time he sneezes in public...after all that nurse ignores her quarantine and nothing bad happened!
On a more cynical note...a bunch of us were discussing this at work yesterday since it was all over the news. The general consensus was Kaci is angling for a book deal or a Lifetime movie of the week deal. We all pretty much figure her nursing career is toast after this.
I think you and your coworkers will need to reevaluate her career. She is being called a hero by Maine Med Assn and more and more medical associations are applauding her for taking such a stance.
Not one medical group endorses quarantine, at least not one I can find.
I'd really like to know . . . to those who do support quarantine, would it not apply to ALL HCP caring for Ebola patients, not just those from W Africa? If so, do you realize that Emory by now would not have the staff available to care for another Ebola patient and would have to shut the unit down? Pretty soon, the other three specialized units would also be shut down. Hospitals all over would be shutting down because I'm sure there will be more cases of Ebola. You do realize, too, that about 150 W Africans enter the US daily? You are saying the professionals working with and knowledgeable about this disease and how to self-monitor should be quarantined in their home for 21 days while these 150 unknowns arriving DAILY can roam around on the subways, airlines, bowling alleys, bridal shops, etc? Do you really believe that makes a lickin of sense?
They think she should have just complied and made her point while being stripped of her civil rights. She just should have been a nice little girl, compliant with the important people's wishes regardless of her own rights or expertise.
meh. she has every right to challenge this overstep in any way she prefers, she has broken no laws so what is the beef? is she supposed to play nicer than the people who wish to quarantine her further?
THIS!!
Notice this is a nurse. Not a doctor (or man!). There is a dr in my area who made news because he's going right back to work after being in Sierra Leone. Why isn't the media following him around and demanding his quarantine? If I hear one more person say, "If she'd only just do it...." Ugh
It seems to me that the message from the WH on the topic of ebola has been "stay calm, we've got this". On the other hand, state officials and other politicians are thumping this for every political advantage they can...mostly based in ignorance and fear, but thumping just the same.
Apparently you've missed the mixed messages coming from the administration. An asymptomatic nurse flew from Dallas to Ohio. The CDC felt they needed to identify and check on everyone who was on that plane. No fever, not infectious right? There is no reason to worry about those sitting next to her much less someone 30 rows back.
The CDC uses full suits when dealing with Ebola in a test tube in a lab or when they transport or treat patients. However, they decided it was fine for staff at the Texas hospital to just wear standard contact/droplet protection. Great experiment that resulted in transmission to two care givers.
Now they've updated their recommendations to include no exposed skin. Test tubes don't sneeze, vomit or develop diarrhea. I'm glad we can now use the best protection when caring for patients that sometimes have those issues.
The President has said there is no scientific reason to quarantine the nurse in Maine. She cared for Ebola patients but she wore PPE and followed protocols. However, US troops who have had zero contact with Ebola victims are being quarantined. I would love to hear the science behind that.
Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.
That's just it. At this time she isn't a danger but who's to say down the road she doesn't start having symptoms. Then the authorities will have to track down all the people she came into contact. Seems to me that a 21 day self quarantine is not much to ask in the big picture. She's an arrogant and self entitled woman.
Yea, however the period of incubation for the disease is only a set period of time hence the 21 day quarantee, unless she is rexposed to to ebola its unlikely at this point that she would develop them
Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.
She is being selfish and self righteous! Let's not forget that upon her second assessment at the airport she had a temp of 101F.
I once had my blood pressure taken with an electronic cuff. Within the space of 5 minutes, my blood pressure went from 180/100 to 90/60. I was asymomatic
Which is why when ever I get a random blood pressure, I will retest with a manual. The reality is that for the ease these machines bring into the work place, they bring a certain degree of uncertainly. Which is why IMO no health professional should ever base their treatment on the basis of one deviation without any other symptoms
With a 21 day incubation period it is not unreasonable to quarantine some one for that amount if time. If you do the research, there's still some mystery about the transmission of Ebola
When they've tested negative twice, and remain asymptomatic its very unreasonable.
Why put everyone at risk ?
How does someone who does not have ebola put others at risk
Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.
What happens if she goes to a crowded movie theater, feeling great, on day 19. A lot can happen in 2 hours. What if she leaves that theater with a high fever, feeling like crap? What if she feels so bad that she vomits in the lobby on the way out? This is not an impossible scenario, is it?
I seriously doubt that someone who has remained asymtomatic for 18 1/2 days is going to develop ebola in 2 hours
Tina, RN
513 Posts
OK, let's dissect my post. My initial post: "What happens if she goes to a crowded movie theater, feeling great, on day 19. A lot can happen in 2 hours. What if she leaves that theater with a high fever, feeling like crap? What if she feels so bad that she vomits in the lobby on the way out? This is not an impossible scenario, is it?"
Definition of a "declarative statement": A sentence in the form of a statement (in contrast to a command, a question, or an exclamation). I believe the above, which I posted, was in the form of a question, based upon the question mark at the end? (See, I did it again.)
This quote of mine, "However, you just don't know when, or if, those symptoms will arrive. To me, being extra cautious for 21 days isn't such a big deal, in the scope of things." Now this, indeed, is a declarative statement. But, it is just my opinion, and I would not jam it down anyone's throat, or get silly-nasty about it.
Oh, boy.