Ebola is one of the diseases, which have currently been under active discussion due to its adverse symptoms and high mortality rates. In this instance, the application of quarantine is beneficial due to the symptomatic nature of the disease and the risks to society. In my opinion, the use of quarantine remains a necessity, as it terminates the spread of the disease, and it should be implemented rapidly at the regional level with the assistance of the health authorities by providing favorable conditions for the quarantined without violation of human rights.
Firstly, it remains evident that quarantine is applicable under particular circumstances, as its primary intention of quarantine is to isolate the potentially infected people from the public to terminate the spread of the disease (Khardori, 2006). The quarantine has to be applied when the consequences of the disease are predicted to have an adverse impact on society. In this case, multiple incidents should take place to implement quarantine, as only one would not be enough to determine the necessity of application. However, quarantine has to be established as quickly as possible to avoid epidemics and pandemics. The projection of epidemics will be enough to determine that the application of quarantine is a necessity, as the scale of the disease will be assessed on a different level.
In this instance, the governors of the states should impose the quarantine as they know the current health situation in their states. Nonetheless, the governors have to consult the local Department of Public Health to justify the causes and necessity of isolation of the individuals (Topinka, 2009). In this instance, the quarantine has to be imposed on the regional and state levels firstly, as the governors have a better understanding of the issue with the assistance of the health authorities. Nevertheless, the president has a right to impose the quarantine on the national level, as he/she can acquire the overall perspective of the scale of the spread of the illness.
The issue of the location of the quarantined people tends to exist. It remains evident that a person has to be isolated from other individuals, and some states propose in-home isolation or at the medical facilities (Page, 2007). Nonetheless, a person has to be provided with favorable conditions for survival. In this case, the quarantined rights cannot be violated, and the appropriate treatment and medical personnel have to be provided for their existence.
In conclusion, in the case of Ebola, it remains evident that the quarantine has to be applied due to the significant threat to public health, as it has a high mortality rate, causes suffering, and spreads rapidly. In this situation, the decision has to be made quickly on the regional or state level, as the governors and local medical authorities have a better understanding of the problem. Despite being quarantined, the human rights of the individuals cannot be violated, and favorable conditions have to be imposed for their recovery.
References
Khardori, N. (2006). Bioterrorism preparedness: Medicine – Public Health – Policy. Weinheim: WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co.
Page, E. (2007). Balancing individual rights and public health safety during quarantine: The U.S. and Canada. Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law 38(3/4), 517-537.
Topinka, J. (2009). Yaw, pitch, and roll: Quarantine and isolation at United States Airports. The Journal of Legal Medicine, 30(1), 51-81.