To think that if you were part of a medical team treating Ebola

[maddening]

That you would quarantine yourself from family and the world at large for the period and the incubation period - reading news of health workers families and friends being quarantined now there is a possibility of contracting from their loved one, plus exposing the public.

These people are so brave and to do what they are doing and risking their own lives is the ultimate thing that one can do - but surely if you volunteer or accept this job in particular then surely they should have been given a living space for the period and then for the period following their work - so 21 days after last contact with patient.

I know that health professionals are regularly in contact with infection and risk passing it on - but an illness which is so contagious and deadly in it's mortality rate is a different matter.

I also know it would be a massive ask after what they have already done in doing this job but if it were me I wouldn't want to risk my family and friends - they didn't sign up for this. And surely if we are trying to contain this so it doesn't get out having people with know contact - albeit with maximum protection - the risk is still elevated and coupled with the impact this has on others lives - so ending up with 20 people who have to stay in quarantine as they had substantially less protection when in contact with their loved ones - let alone complete strangers and their families.

Anbu to think these very brave health workers who are to be commended for everything they do should have been offered the chance to quarantine themselves or quarantined as comfortably as possible for the period.

I know what you're saying, but realistically, how can they be expected to put their lives on hold for such a long time?

It'd mean huge consequences not just for themselves, but also their family and friends, who would have to supply everything they'd need to survive for 21 days regardless of their own circumstances.

There was a woman who'd been in contact with someone with ebola who quarantined herself for 19 days while she was on a cruise ship, so some people do do it voluntarily.

It's maybe one of those situations where you think you you'd know exactly how you'd deal with it, but in reality everything can turn to shit.

I know - it is a massive ask which is why i wonder if I Abu but logically one person, who has maximum protection and going in to contact knowing and accepting the risks, going into quarantine in a controlled fashion rather than 4 or more people going in to quarantine in a panic situation with no knowledge or chance to take protection (as in members of the public) has a greater impact.

I just couldn't risk my son's life let alone parents, siblings', nieces', nephew's, cousins', friend's/colleagues and their families.

I would think that the health organisations for whom they work should provide their accommodation and take care of the costs. And that people in sole care of dc should not be asked to do this.

It should be bloody mandatory.

Yes, well done for volunteering to go and help stricken countries for weeks and months on end.

Well done for helping infected people. All round, you're a compassionate, good human being.

But for the love of God, engage your fucking brain. You've been in close contact with tens of Ebola patients. You KNOW there is a three week incubation period.

Don't come home and start socialising, FFS Wait until you know you haven't got the virus. I just can't comprehend why that wouldn't occur to them. Or the CDC!

Yabu. My refrain from going on holiday, yes, but apart from that it's OTT. If they're wearing adequate suits and follow protocol when it comes to their own care then there is no reason they shouldn't be allowed out in "public". It is NOT airborne. There isn't a lot of evidence to suggest it survives on surfaces. So your only really at risk if you come into contact with their bodily fluids. Usually by the time they're infectious they're feeling too Ill to go out and "socialist".

The only reason I wouldn't have thought it should be mandatory is that I kind of presumed any medic coming off an assignment treating ebola patients would quarantine themselves.

The NY doctor case made me re-think that. I know what he was thinking - I am not contagious until I am symptomatic, I will limit my social contact a bit, I will check for symptoms and get medical help immediately any appear - which is what he did.

What he didn't think about and should have is the chaos he potentially unleashed when he decided what was safe contact with a person who may develop ebola (and ultimately did). Public health officials trying to contact all his contacts, including taxi drivers etc - nuts. He should have built in the 21 day quarantine as part of the sacrifice/contribution he made when volunteering.

Yes but whilst they are ill they can still be in close contact with others. What do you think happens between the time the symptoms present themselves and that person being isolated? How many people do they come into contact with during this time??

Even if quarantine was a requirement in whatever country the person is in, it's inevitable that it'd be broken somehow.

All the procedures that are in place to treat and isolate people in places that claim to have excellent medical facilities are still resulting in health care workers getting sick.

I can't honestly say that I believe them when they soothingly stroke my hair and say that everything will be alright

That is the job they chose, trained and are paid for. I assume close friends and family are aware of that. You cannot expect them to isolate themselves for 3 weeks from even friends and family!

Yes, inconvenient it may be but so is having to go 'whoops, sorry I brought Ebola home with me and gave it to you'. Why are they even hopping on planes straight back? It's not a measure just to be awkward, it's part of sensible and necessary infection control. There's no point doing all that good work just to take Ebola on tour.

Like where agent? Issues in Dallas arose and are now public. Two nurses infected(both now recovered) but it is now no secret that they did not have proper protocol in place. There have only been a few cases in the US and Spain, teething problems are inevitable.

I agree. I would far rather spend an extra fortnight and know I'm not bringing it home to family, friends and whoever else. Apparently, one of the latest suspected cases has been on the subway in New York daily! I understand the desire to get home, and admire these people enormously, but part of being selfless means not necessarily going home immediately until you are sure you are not infectious to anybody.

Yes, I expect them to quarantine themselves for 21 days so they don't kill everyone they love and random strangers.

Seems bloody obvious to me.

"Kill everyone they love and random strangers"
Slightly dramatic.

You've said it yourself Purple, they had teething problems, but they were in places where you'd expect them be on top of something they're talking so seriously about.

The first case into America and they fucked it up.

I don't mean that as a criticism of America as a country, I'm saying that wherever ebola crops up there are going to be 'mistakes' dealing with it.

It's unavoidable.

www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/24/doctor-tests-positive-for-ebola-at-new-york-hospital

I work for the nhs and I am in regular contact with infectious patients, I once had a needle stick injury which I was given medience to try to prevent aids/hiv and loads of blood test and back and forth to occupation Heath. In the mean time I had 1 DC and was so scared that I may pass on to him and DP ( now DH) that I didn't have sex or kiss them ect and distanced myself away from them.

No way would I put loved ones at risk.

Can I just point out that the vast majority of healthcare workers going out to West Africa are volunteers? The don't get any pay for the duration they are out there, just flights and lodging. Extending that by 21 days would mean majority of workers won't be able to volunteer.

Neither the CDC nor MSF recommend a quarantine period for asymptomatic healthcare workers. They do have guidelines though on monitoring temp and keep track of returning personnel.

Well New York governors have now made it mandatory for anyone who has been in contact with ebola and flies into one of their airports to go into a 21 day quarantine at a state facility.

This goes against any advice from the CDC, MSF or WHO. People are not contagious until they are displaying symptoms and even at that point, unless people have contact with your bodily fluids they still aren't going to catch it. It doesn't get very contagious until the final stages of the disease. Thomas Duncan's family did not catch it from him despite close contact over a period of days. The people who have developed it in the west have not passed on the virus to a single non HCW.

So now they are going to treat volunteers like lepers instead of heroes. West Africa is absolutely desperate for more volunteers. This is just going to dissuade people who are already taking unpaid leave from going to help. It's a nail in the coffin for West Africa.

nail in a coffin? bit dramatic isn't it? most volunteers will volunteer because its what they believe in.....a 21 day quarantine shouldn't sway those who truly want to go.

I would do it differently.
These people are heroes.
They should not have to quarantine themselves at their own expense.
Also, if they infect someone inadvertently, it will cost £££.
So for far fewer £££, and as a mark of thanks, how about giving them a 3 week holiday in a luxury facility - surely not too difficult to arrange that - a wing of Camp David would do nicely . DVDs, delish food, internet, gym, swim pool, garden to relax in, fine wine...
Reading a lot recently about the very unfit welcome that WW! returnees got for their bravery, would have hoped 100 years later we could have a better way of treating people who make sacrifices that most of would be too scared or selfish to do.

Not dramatic in the slightest. Anything that hinders getting help over there is a nail in the coffin. We should be doing everything we can to get people over there to help. It's desperate.

There is absolutely no logic to the 21 day quarantine. If there were then the US would also be putting all of their HCWs who are currently dealing with ebola also into mandatory quarantine. Can you imagine how quickly that could cause issues into the running of the hospitals? It simply isn't contagious until people are displaying symptoms.

Why all the outrage at a whole 21 days in quarantine? Compared to the (admittedly small) risk of passing on a fatal disease its a no -brainer surely?

As previously said it's not an airborne disease but one microdrop of saliva,tears or blood could pass it on, so not worth the risk IMHO.

The person in quarantine takes their own temperature daily, & reports in to a co-ordinator. Food supplies & diversions can be delivered by friends & relatives. Internet & TV can provide contact with the outside world.

These aid workers have often been on duty 24/7 for along time plus the strain of having to be so vigilant with hygiene when deathly tired. They'd probably sleep for the first week!

What's the worst bit- boredom. Still preferable to the other. I would never forgive myself if I had infected one of my LO's.

As to who should fund it, well still cheaper than paying for the poor worker to be looked after in hospital surely?

Well as I said, it's not recommended by the CDC, WHO or MSF, all experts because it is unnecessary.

It may very well put off volunteers. They do have jobs to go back to and families to see. 19000 volunteers are needed (that's a hell of a lot of people to confine to state facilities!)

It is not being applied to healthcare workers who are looking after ebola patients in the states - thank goodness because that would bring hospitals to a grinding halt.

It gives off the message that ebola is more contagious than it is and people are already reacting illogically - banning visitors to schools from other parts of Africa for instance.

I can repeat these arguments many times if you wish.

The problem is they don't just need those volunteers that truly want to go. They need as any as humanly possible and then some more. A enforced, medically unnecessary 21 day quarantine is going to put off a lot of people who are not 100% certain.

I think what's worrying to most people is that whilst the safety guidelines seem to be clear, why have doctors and nurses who have followed these procedures ended up getting it?

It makes people think that maybe everything isn't known about how it's caught

In the US it's because the equipment and procedures issued by the hospital weren't adequate. In west Africa it's down to sheer volume of patients and very difficult working conditions.