XDR-TB Patient Forced into Quarantine.

[DawnCt1]

Out of Phoenix; A 27 year old tuberculosis patient with Extreme drug resistant TB, considered virtually untreatable, refused to wear a mask in public and protect others from his illness has been forced into jail hospital cell.
http://www.courant.com/news/nationw...,0,924711.story?coll=hc-headlines-nationworld

What are your thoughts? The level of communicability of this disease is extremely high. He took none of the recommended precautions. Is it possible that he didn't understand the public health implications or that he should have understood them but had wanton disregard. These issues will obviously emerge as more untreatable infectious diseases emerge, notable SARS and potentially if Avian flu crosses more aggressively into human populations. Science is on the side of Public Health Officials now so we don't quite have the same situation that existed in Hawaii with leprosy starting in mid 1800's and continued until 1982, although most patients living in Kaulapapa remained voluntarily and do today.

 

[Judy from Boise]

When i was earning my Public health Nurse certification, one of our "bread and butter" tasks was visiting homes of TB patients and doing med checks to make sure the right number of pills was missing out of the bottles . I think the law is good.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I heard this on the news this morning. I don't know what they're going to do with this guy long term.

 

[DawnCt1]

When i was earning my Public health Nurse certification, one of our "bread and butter" tasks was visiting homes of TB patients and doing med checks to make sure the right number of pills was missing out of the bottles . I think the law is good.

I don't think that there is a choice, particularly with an illness that at present is virtually untreatable. To expose an entire community, a state and ultimately a country to the ravages of TB is irresponsible.

 

[LukenDC]

The gentleman in question was given an opportunity to live in society with his disease and he chose not to cooperate and disregarded basic safety measures. It is not fair for him to expose others to a virulent strain of TB and threaten an entire population of peopl. That said, I do feel sorry for him and hope that he can have some comforts while in detention.

 

[Boston Tea Party]

I think that TB is going to make a comeback.

I am a teacher and I don't understand why students are not tested before school starts. When I was young in the '70's, every year I had to get a tine (?) test.

There is a student in my class who is on a supervised medication treatment plan. Two years ago there was another one.

How many are out there contagious?

I think that we have to stop worrying about hurting people's feelings and realize that the influx of people from nations where public works are lacking is going to cause us serious harm.

 

[rie'smom]

While I hate to see him quarantined, I understand the need. There are many immuno compromised people to whom exposure could mean death.

 

[freckles and boo]

There are plenty of precedents for this, although it does seem hard to believe we still have to detain people. I recall watching a documentary about Typhoid Mary Mallon. She was a cook who appeared to be an unaffected carrier of the disease but who managed to repeated pass it on through poor sanitation during food preparation. They tracked several large outbreaks to her and she was ordered not to work as a cook, but because it was the most lucrative skill she had, she disregarded the orders. She contaminated more people and was eventually detained in a sanitarium on an island off New York. If I recall correctly, she died an old woman of natural causes while still in detention. Technically she was also an innocent victim of a disease but her blatant disregard for others got her in trouble. In her defense, germ theory was very new and not widely respected at the time and it was believed that people could only get sick from other sick people. She was a healthy carrier. People today should know better.

 

[marybet]

I just think that they should be treating him better. He should be able to take a shower, and watch television. I think they should keep him quarantined but he still has basic human needs.

 

[DawnCt1]

The gentleman in question was given an opportunity to live in society with his disease and he chose not to cooperate and disregarded basic safety measures. It is not fair for him to expose others to a virulent strain of TB and threaten an entire population of peopl. That said, I do feel sorry for him and hope that he can have some comforts while in detention.

I agree. There is no reason to deprive him of a telephone, television or other comforts that one would find in any hospital on any isolation unit.

 

[DawnCt1]

While I hate to see him quarantined, I understand the need. There are many immuno compromised people to whom exposure could mean death.

When it comes to this type of TB, XDR, one doesn't have to be immuno compromised to receive a death sentence from exposure. It is a scary disease. We have a comfort level in this day and age that everything contagious can be treated. That just isn't the case. One of my most memorable trips to Hawaii included a mule ride to the penninsula of Kaulapapa on Molokai where lepers were isolated for years. Leprosy wasn't as contagious as they thought it was and there were probably hundreds of people who lived and died there that didn't need to. There are 7000 unmarked graves there, and for me, it was a very spiritual experience. TB however, is not like leprosy, which is completely curable now. This form is untreatable.

 

[luvwinnie]

The gentleman in question was given an opportunity to live in society with his disease and he chose not to cooperate and disregarded basic safety measures. It is not fair for him to expose others to a virulent strain of TB and threaten an entire population of peopl. That said, I do feel sorry for him and hope that he can have some comforts while in detention.

I agree.

 

[Crankyshank]

We've been dealing with drug resistant TB outbreaks in this area for a while now, only it's pretty hushed up. No issues with people being uncooperative though.

 

[ducklite]

It would seem that he could easily be charged with a variety of crimes including violations of public health laws or even attempted murder.

While I don't agree with confining everyone with a communicable disease, I do believe that it's proper to confine anyone who acts with total disregard for the health and safety of others in the prevention of spreading highly communicable, deadly disease--if nothing else on mental health issues. How is he any different than the person(s) who were sending Anthrax laced mail to innocent people?

Notice the italicized words. I don't believe we should lock up people who are actively taking steps to prevent the transmission of their disease to others, or those who have less serious/preventable/easily treated diseases, like the common cold.

Anne

 

[yeartolate]

I am hoping before he was locked up, he was warned this was a possibility.I am assuming he was warned of the extreme risk to the public.

I have no problem with him being locked up. In fact, I have no problem with him being criminally and civilly charged. He had options. He made an active choice to endanger the lives of others.

My sympathy for his loss of civil liberties is lacking. (assuming he was clearly warned and educated)

 

[Beth76]

I am hoping before he was locked up, he was warned this was a possibility.I am assuming he was warned of the extreme risk to the public.

I have no problem with him being locked up. In fact, I have no problem with him being criminally and civilly charged. He had options. He made an active choice to endanger the lives of others.

My sympathy for his loss of civil liberties is lacking. (assuming he was clearly warned and educated)

He said in the article that he didn't know any better. That nobody told him. I don't know if that's true or not. I think if he is knowingly going in public without the proper precautions he could be charged with something and detained. I don't understand why he isn't allowed access to a computer, phone and tv though. That doesn't seem right at all. I don't have a problem with his detention, but they need to treat him better.

 

[DawnCt1]

He said in the article that he didn't know any better. That nobody told him. I don't know if that's true or not. I think if he is knowingly going in public without the proper precautions he could be charged with something and detained. I don't understand why he isn't allowed access to a computer, phone and tv though. That doesn't seem right at all. I don't have a problem with his detention, but they need to treat him better.[/QUOTE]

That is where I am puzzled. In the early days of isolation on Molokai, the residence often faced death with nothing. Often no shelter, just drift wood that would sometimes float ashore. While he certainly has "everything he needs", I see no reason why he can't have what he wants. Surely things have changed in 150 years or one would hope.

 

[yeartolate]

I am curious if it was documented that he was educated and warned of the risks to the population at large.

I would have little problem with a trial of him living on the outside practicing appropriate precautions after a exhaustive educational process with the understanding that noncompliance ONCE meant back to jail (or locked up wherever).

 

[Simba's Mom]

TB is making a comeback around here. For some reason, it seems to be a real health issue among the illegals getting in to our country (I'm not giving an opinion on it, just an observation). Most health care workers and teachers are required to have tests yearly. I know of some who are tested more often. And in the schools in this part of Texas, at least, the students do have to have tine tests, I don't know how often. When we lived in Massachusetts our children had to have a TBest for school once and that's it. However, when we moved to Texas, they had to have one again as part of their regular school shots. I tried to tell the school, "TB test? Oh, they had that years ago." I didn't know it would have to be done regularly.

 

[Judy from Boise]

I don't think that there is a choice, particularly with an illness that at present is virtually untreatable. To expose an entire community, a state and ultimately a country to the ravages of TB is irresponsible.

I think you misunderstood me, I was randomly reminiscing....then agreeing with the law/action.