Gov. Andrew Cuomo stood fast in his reasoning of home quarantine guidelines for returning healthcare workers that treated Ebola patients in West Africa, after a school technology talk at Mineola Middle School last week. He said he disagrees with the federal government’s response to the disease and thinks a quarantine could be lawfully enforced if needed.
“All we’re saying is healthcare workers who were exposed to infected people, or citizens coming from those countries who were exposed to infected people, to have a 21-day quarantine at home,” Cuomo said. “I believe people will comply. If they don’t, it’s legally enforceable that we can mandate the quarantine. I don’t believe it’s going to come to that.”
Cuomo announced last week that New York medical workers who had contact with Ebola patients, but did not show symptoms, could stay at home and be compensated for lost income from the state. Calling the possible home quarantine an “undue burden,” Cuomo said it would help experts narrow down possible infected people if symptoms arise.
“Staying at home will limit the number of people they come in contact with,” Cuomo said. “It would also help identify the number of people they in fact did come in contact with. If there are any symptoms that suggest they have the disease, they’d be moved to a hospital.”
Ebola symptoms include fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, red eyes, raised rash and stomach pains, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control website. Other symptoms include severe weight loss, bleeding, usually from the eyes, and bruising (people near death may bleed from other orifices, such as ears, nose and rectum).
The CDC does not agree with self quarantines without symptoms, but Cuomo wants to “err on the side of safety.” The U.S. Department of Defense said last week it was imposing a 21-day quarantine for military personnel returning from West Africa.
“I disagree with the CDC’s policy, which by the way, I don’t even think put out one,” Cuomo said. “We knew the problem. They haven’t even covered the protocol. But ours is more cautious. I have gone through hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, you name it the past four years, and my policy has always been, hope the best but prepare for the worst.”
Cuomo felt after the announcement of the first Ebola case in the United States in Dallas, TX, it was only a matter of time before it hit New York.
“I always believed that it was inevitable that Ebola was going to be here,” he said. “As soon as we saw that it was in Dallas, I knew in my heart that it was just a matter of time. So we worked on these issues, we thought them through, and this is where we came out.”
Cuomo reiterated the risk Ebola poses without home quarantine.
“[Possible quarantined] can have their family,” said Cuomo. “They can have their friends, at home. If their organization doesn’t pay them for the three weeks, the state will compensate them for the three weeks. I think that is an entirely reasonable request given the risk.”
