How Cautious is too Cautious?
Hello and welcome to this week’s blog!
Given the recent pandemic, most of us are familiar with the importance of public safety policies. We also experienced how dreadful the process of quarantine and isolation can be. This universal experience indicates that most of the population, for once, may be willing to openly sympathize with either case. Hence, now is the best time to reassess and seeks out new unbiased healthcare policies. The question stands; should we limit the normal civil liberties of infected patients, their friends and family, or others suspected to be at risk? Let’s begin by examining some arguments made on this behalf.
On one hand, many deadly diseases such as Smallpox, Ebola, and the Bubonic plague would not have been controlled without isolating the infected. Not only is this method of control cost-efficient, but it is also extremely dependable. Referring to COVID-19, the seven-day average of confirmed cases in 2021 was 15,222. Now, the average is about 300 cases per-day!
The near eradication of the virus can only be attested to strict healthcare policies, and public compliance. While many of the restrictions may have interfered with our civil liberties, it was a small price to pay, in retrospect.
On the other hand, overly fearing the diseased can lead to hurtful stigmas, which can only delay the process of eradication. Arguably, one of the most stigmatized diseases to date is HIV, a precursor of AIDS. Since the HIV epidemic in 1981, numerous studies have proven that the virus is transmitted exclusively through the entering of infected bodily fluids, such as blood, semen, or breast milk, into one’s blood stream. Simply put, it takes a very specific and unique set of events to occur for one to contract the disease. Further, HIV can remain in one’s body for an average of 10 years, which rules out quarantine as a realistic method of control. Unfortunately, the lack of understanding back then fostered unjustified hate and alienation towards those that were infected.
Politicians were advocating for the quarantine of those that tested HIV positive, with conservative journalist William Buckley infamously saying that “everyone detected with AIDS should be tattooed”. Further, the nature in which HIV was transmitted led to further marginalization of the minority. This became especially problematic upon the Centres for Disease Control’s announcement of the high-risk groups: homosexuals, heroin addicts, and hemophiliacs. Coupling the misconceptions and associations with groups that were already being discriminated against, HIV became an excuse for homophobic, racist, and prejudiced ideologies. This sentiment was all too common, and even shared among healthcare providers. When HIV-positive, Jordan Edwards was diagnosed, he recounts the physician “not wanting to use the pens he used” among other displays of oppressive behaviour. Clearly, no one is immune to social stigmas, which can be damaging to patient-physician relationships and delay the overall treatment process.
HIV is not the only example of a disease receiving unjustified public response. In Module 6, Dr. Jackie Duffin mentioned diseases that historically brought about similar sentiments, and ultimately, regressive results. Leprosy was falsely thought to be extremely contagious, leading most of society to downright shame and degrade those who suffered from the condition. This crippling fear led to various atrocities; lepers were burned at the stake, accused of satanic heresies, and exiled into life-long quarantines.
Considering how easily misinformation can spread and how acting upon it can lead to devastating consequences, we should not always resort to isolation and quarantine of the diseased, at least not until there is enough evidence surrounding its modes of transmission and level of contagiousness. Moreover, we should always be reminded that the ill are also human beings, who deserve treatment just as much as a person suffering from a non-infectious disease.
All in all, there are equally valid arguments to be made for and against the isolation of those carrying contagious diseases. Upon examining the case of HIV, I do not think the problem lies in using isolation as a method of control, but rather precautionary measures being made impulsively and without sufficient evidence. If quarantine is deemed the best course of action, I think health policies should encourage patients to choose to do so. This can be done by offering the individual financial compensation, or psychological support during their quarantine. That way, the patient’s humanity is retained, and people will be more likely to comply.
Thanks for tuning in!
By Angela Cai (she/her/hers) | Blog Committee Member
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