Ebola Outbreak in the U.S.?

What could happen if the deadly Ebola virus made it to the United States? It’s spreading rapidly in Liberia and many people are concerned that it could be on it’s way to the United States.

American doctor Kent Brantley of North Carolina came down with ebola while attending to sick patients on a missions trip to Liberia. Brantley identified his symptoms early on, and placed himself in a voluntary quarantine. He’s still in Liberia and out of reach of other people, but have any others come in contact with sick patients and come back home?

Another American, Patrick Sawyer was on his way home from caring for his sick sister in Libera, en route to Minnesota when he stopped for a layover in Lagos. Unknown to him, Sawyer had contracted Ebola from his sister. He was admitted into a Nigerian hospital before he died 5 days later.

Three days ago, Ebola had killed 672 people. Now, that number is 729. 57 more people died in under 72 hours. There is no known cure for the disease. The virus was first identified almost 40 years ago, but this is the largest outbreak ever.

We told you yesterday about a California man who was charged and arrested after refusing to accept treatment for tuberculosis. Officials say 25-year-old Eduardo Rosas Cruz was diagnosed in March after seeking medical help for a violent cough. He comes from an area in Mexico known for a dangerous drug-resistant strain of TB. Area district attorney, Stephen Taylor clarified that they aren’t trying to punish Cruz, but by refusing treatment, he’s putting people around him at risk.

Should the fatal plague make it’s way to America, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have the legal authority to detain, arrest and quarantine anyone who they identify as a potential risk. Federal law grants the CDC equal power to act as the state for the benefit of society.

In this case, quarantine seems to make sense. Most Americans would likely volunteer to be quarantined if they knew they were a threat to society. This law is operating in a very grey area because it has the authority to arrest someone who has not broken any laws.

The last large-scale isolation and quarantines was during the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918 so there is a precedent set.

Suppose it happened today, what would it look like? Well… Given the fierceness of todays police powers and emergency alerts transmitted via Text message it could be very easy to round up huge swaths of the population.

The question now is… what would you do if you received a text message from the CDC telling you to report to the nearest Quarantine zone?