LETTERS: On Ebola, public safety trumps all

To the editor:

Happily, New York and New Jersey stepped up to the plate with regard to Ebola (“N.Y., N.J. governors order Ebola quarantines,” Oct. 25 Review-Journal). Health workers and others coming from West African Ebola-stricken areas and landing in New York or New Jersey were to be quarantined for three weeks (though both states later relented under federal pressure).

The final straw came from Dr. Craig Spencer, an emergency room physician who had volunteered to work for Doctors Without Borders. Of all people, he should have known better. Monitoring one’s temperature does not cut it. Anyone in health science should be familiar with the Bell curve. The center of the curve represents the median, most occurring outcomes, and both ends of the curve are the unusual, unexpected events. In other words, with Ebola, we say that normally one becomes infectious after they exhibit a rise in body temperature and that it can only be spread by bodily fluids in close contact. After three weeks, with no symptoms, they are safe to go.

However, we know one size doesn’t fit all. Infectious agents are known for mutating and changing their pattern of behavior; the minute we humans think we have it cornered and understood, it changes color like a chameleon. Tuberculosis is a good example. After all these years, we are back to looking for cures in strains that have become resistant to everything we’ve developed.

Dr. Spencer came back to New York, diligently took his temperature and reported in when it rose. However, in the interim, he traveled the subway, took a cab and went bowling, among other things. Officials had to spend an enormous amount of money and time chasing contacts, calming legitimate worries and educating the public. What New Jersey and New York did was 100 percent correct. Forget those who argue about constitutional rights, etc. Public health and safety trumps it all, and mandatory quarantines have been the law of the land since its founding. It was routine at Ellis Island — my parents confirmed that in their arrival experience in the early 1900s.

LEONARD KREISLER, M.D.

LAS VEGAS

Quarantines, travel bans

To the editor:

Not too many Americans are likely to remember that well over a half-century ago, whenever a person was diagnosed with an infectious and at that time virtually incurable disease, the first step was isolation and quarantine. If hospitalized, they were placed in an isolation unit with no visitors other than health care workers. If at home, especially in the case of critical childhood diseases, the patient was isolated, with no direct contact, even with other family members whenever possible, and the residence was tagged with a sign to forbid visitors.

After the development of vaccines and treatments, such radical treatment became unnecessary, but even in current hospitalized conditions, people with certain infections are isolated, with family-only visitors having to sanitize and gown up to this day. It certainly makes one wonder if President Barack Obama has our health interests at heart by his refusal to impose a travel ban from the Ebola-plagued African nations.

The president should have taken charge weeks ago by initiating a travel ban, rather than pass responsibility on to the states. First-year nursing students should know that isolating patients infected with a contagion is basic procedure in preventing its spread.

Banning travel does not equate to ignoring these unfortunate victims or turning our backs on them, and I know we will continue to provide aid, including a vaccine as it becomes available. But let’s give health providers a break and restrict the affected areas. Mr. President, you do know how to impose travel restrictions — you did it last summer in Israel. But then, it was for political motives, to discredit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, not to protect American lives.

ROBERT LATCHFORD

HENDERSON

Ebola travel ban idiotic

To the editor:

Regarding Ann Coulter’s column (“Again, why wouldn’t travel ban work in U.S.?”, Oct. 24 Review-Journal), there is a reason that only 6 percent of scientists identify as Republicans. And it is not, as conservatives reactively claim, because scientists feed at the government trough. In fact, the majority of scientists are employed by private companies working on problems involving solid state physics, information technology, food, medicine, etc.

No, it is because scientists do not have the luxury of having belief and verbiage count more than actual facts about how the world works, and they actually need to understand a problem before trying to fix it. Of course, right-wing commentators such as Ms. Coulter do not actually try to fix a problem; they prefer using rhetorical tricks to sound off about it.

There are no direct flights from the United States to West Africa, and there are no direct flights from West Africa to the U.S. So when a flight comes to us from anywhere in the world, we would need to keep all passengers on board until we have inspected every passport to see if any passengers have been to West Africa. For a 200-plus passenger list, that should be able to be done in, oh, say an hour or three. The passengers will love that.

Of course, if anybody on the plane has been to West Africa, we need to send the entire plane back, or quarantine all of them for 21 days. Wow, that will really boost our tourist business. But as Ms. Coulter will be the first to tell you, you cannot be too careful.

Are you beginning to see how incredibly stupid this idea of a travel ban is for the U.S.? Do you think that even Ms. Coulter can understand the problem and why a travel ban will not work?

DOUG NUSBAUM

LAS VEGAS