Summary: A nurse in Maine hopes to loosen state quarantine laws with lawsuit against Maine.
How far can state laws go when putting United States citizens into quarantine? With the outbreak of Ebola concerns, one nurse is testing just that. Nurse Kaci Hickox is suing the State of Maine, as of Wednesday, for being quarantined against her will. She returned from Sierra Leone last Friday after treating Ebola patients for a month, and after showing signs of a low-grade fever, but a negative test for Ebola, she was state ordered to remain in her home for 21 days, the incubation period of the virus.
“This is a tipping point in this whole process,” she said in an interview from her home. “So many states have started enacting these policies that I think are just completely not evidence-based. They don’t do a good job of balancing the risks and benefits when thinking about taking away an individual’s rights.”
Hickox, 33, is concerned that “it’s the medical professionals who are being stigmatized. Even if there is a popular public opinion, we still have to advocate for what’s right.”
As for the popular public opinion, CBS News ran a poll last week that found 80 percent of Americans believe health care workers should be quarantined after a visit from West Africa, even if they show no symptoms at all. This perhaps doesn’t speak well of 80 percent of Americans, but 25 percent also said that foreign visitors from West Africa should be barred completely.
The White House agrees that such state strictures as Maine’s and California’s which go above and beyond what the Centers for Disease Control are calling for are actually going too far.
“If we are not dealing with this problem there, it will come here,” said President Obama, by way of explaining why we are working on Africa’s problem. “I know that, with all the headlines and all the news, that people are scared. America has never been defined by fear.”
America perhaps has not defined itself that way, but the human species as a whole is given to its share of hysteria, mass panic, and doomsday prophesying.
The CDC guidelines call for mere monitoring for health care workers without symptoms who have worked with Ebola patients.
Nevertheless, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie dismissed the nurse’s plight with a brusque “Whatever.”
“I’ve been sued lots of times before. Get in line. I’m happy to take it on.”
Hickox retaliated to Christie’s claim that she was “obviously ill” when she said, “First of all, I don’t think he’s a doctor; secondly, he’s never laid eyes on me; and thirdly, I’ve been asymptomatic since I’ve been here,” as CNN reported.
Christie replied saying, “She had access to the Internet and we brought her takeout food… I don’t have any concerns about that,” because her claims are “malarkey.”
FUCK THIS STUPID DUMB BITCH MAN forget about everyone else safety eating top notch food living well in quarantine LIFE HAD TO SUCK she has nothing to sue over she deserves to be locked up and the government should sue her
Her top-notch food was Kentucky Fried Chicken, you dork
since when is KFC not considered top notch
Since 1952
Joe smith it could of been mickey ds she got it free also was still able to communicate with ppl couldnt of been that bad
let me just say this if the doctors thought i had ebola i would wanna be quarantined so my family and other people wouldn’t get it
“FUCK THIS STUPID DUMB BITCH MAN ”
..this is how you thank someone that risked their life to prevent the further global spread of Ebola?
You have 0 concept of reality here. Ignorantly force-quaranting health workers that we are sending over seas to battle the problem to prevent a global outbreak. What health worker in their right mind would sign up for such a task if they already know that when they get back they will be held against their will… kept from their job, their family, their responsibilities – all in the name of fear rather than sound science?
Moron.
Thank someone who wants to spread the virus to everyone??? ok smart one the fact is she could of had it whats the harm in having someone check for a couple weeks???
you need to go read up on ebola and how the infection works before you go spouting off further with your non-sense.
and oh gee..what harm could unexpectedly being held in isolation do to ones life? you could lose pay, you could lose your job, you may have kids at home, you may (like most adults) have a routine set or responsibilities now out of reach.. etc. ALL in the name of FEAR and misunderstanding (you’re a perfect example).
If these peope knew about the quarantine ahead of time and if the state government stepped in to make sure peoples livlihoods werent at risk upon return from their mission of preventing further ebola outbreak overseas – then it’d be a different story. But that’s not what this is. That is not what has taken place. Zero accountability by elected fear mongers.
listen i expressed my opinion i respect you dont like it but fuck it lets take the risk get the family sick the dog grandmas almost dead anyways 2 weeks so terrible and btw she will be getting paid
opinions are like assholes, everyone has one.
i know you proved that
AND IM SORRY BUT SHE WAS TALKING TO SOMEONE IN ISOLATION TO GET HER STORY OUT
if no one else is gonna comment im gonna delete dont want have to deal with some assholes opinion later its no longer about the quarantine its about money now im sure shell get something which is sick
“25 percent also said that foreign visitors from West Africa should be barred completely”. Reminds me of the middle ages when Europeans blamed Jews for the Black Plague and expelled them. That might be just as useful…
What a selfish, greedy person. With how she has been acting since she got to the U.S., I put her in the same group as terrorists. She threatens to sue those whose job is protecting Americans. The decision of the Governor of Maine is in the best interest of the public at large. You’d think a nurse would understand the importance of precaution since she’s probably worked around people in Isolation in hospitals for Pete’s sake. It really makes me wonder if she also enjoys not washing her hands in general. Greed and selfishness are 2 of the worst sins. Karma!