WASHINGTON (AP) — A top federal health official says it’s not necessary to quarantine all health care workers who treated Ebola patients in West Africa.
Dr. Anthony Fauci (FOW’-chee), director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, says active monitoring can accomplish the same thing, because people infected with Ebola don’t become contagious until they start showing symptoms.
He says mandatory quarantines like those put in place by three states could have the unintended consequence of discouraging health workers from joining the fight against Ebola.
New Jersey, New York and Illinois are requiring that travelers from Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone who have had contact with Ebola patients be quarantined for 21 days, which is the incubation period for Ebola.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie tells “Fox News Sunday” the step was necessary to protect public health, because voluntary monitoring isn’t reliable.
Fauci appeared on “Fox News Sunday,” ABC’s “This Week, NBC’s “Meet the Press,” CBS’ “Face the Nation” and CNN’s “State of the Union.”
122-w-35-(Diane Kepley, AP correspondent, with Dr. Anthony Fauci, director, National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health and Governor Chris Christie, R-NJ)–As governments and doctors try to deal with the possibility of Ebola cropping up in the United States, there is criticism of mandatory quarantines that have been imposed in some states. AP correspondent Diane Kepley. ((cut opens with sound)) (26 Oct 2014)
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103-a-12-(Dr. Anthony Fauci (FOW’-chee), infectious disease chief at the National Institutes of Health, in interview)-“unintended negative consequence”-Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health says he’s concerned that quarantining health care workers on their return from West Africa will discourage them from joining the fight against Ebola. COURTESY: ‘Fox News Sunday’ ((mandatory on-air credit)) (26 Oct 2014)
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107-a-13-(Governor Chris Christie, R-N.J., in interview)-“view on this”-New Jersey Governor Chris Christie says he stands by his decision to have a 21 day mandatory quarantine of medical workers and other airline passengers returning from West Africa who had contact with Ebola patients. COURTESY: ‘Fox News Sunday’ ((mandatory on-air credit)) (26 Oct 2014)
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