Isolation and Quarantine are the two most used words nowadays. But a conflict has arisen regarding the use of these two words. The people who are sitting in his home because of lockdown or safety claiming in social media that they are in Quarantine. Are they really in quarantine? Let’s see.
According to the U.S Department of Health & Human Services:
“Isolation is used to separate ill persons who have a communicable disease from those who are healthy. Isolation restricts the movement of ill persons to help stop the spread of certain diseases. For example, hospitals use isolation for patients with infectious tuberculosis.”
That means the person who is already infected has to be separated so that the disease can’t spread and transmit from one person to another. This isolation is from all the family members of his family and everyone, in a word the infected person needs to be ostracized.
Again, also according to the U.S Department of Health & Human Services:
“Quarantine is used to separate and restrict the movement of well persons who may have been exposed to a communicable disease to see if they become ill. These people may have been exposed to a disease and do not know it, or they may have the disease but do not show symptoms. Quarantine can also help limit the spread of communicable disease.”
That means, a person may be well but he may be in touch with an infected person or has the probability of carrying this disease and spread it among the others. He / She also needs to be complete separation except for some special purpose. He / She also can’t communicate with his/her family members whenever he/she wishes until the latent period of the disease end.
So, we, the general people who are sitting idle in their room for safety purposes or to avoid the contact of an infected person, but they are freely communicating with their family members are neither in Quarantine nor in Isolation. We are just staying in our house to keep ourselves safe and to stop its rapid spread and also following the government order or being locked down. Of course, this is highly applaudable deeds because it is the duty of every concerned citizen.
Keep in mind Isolation and quarantine are used to protect the public by preventing exposure to infected persons or to persons who may be infected but not to make people upset.
Written By: Nishat Sal Sabil
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