When the Ebola Virus Disease has its largest outbreak in years in West Africa, medical personnel and public health officials who were exposed to infected patients underwent treatment procedures and a 21-day quarantine to make sure the spread of the virus is prevented. However, a new study by Professor Charles Haas of Drexel's College of Engineering says that the length of time (21 days) for quarantine of suspected infected persons is too short. It might be not enough to prevent the spread of the virus.
Accordingly, there could be a 12-percent chance that a person can still manifest symptoms of the virus even after the 21 days of quarantine and isolation. According to the study by Haas, which was published in PLOS Currents: Outbreaks, the study revealed about nature of the virus and its past outbreaks including the present outbreak. The quarantine day may be too short to definitely clear someone off the disease.
The incubation period for someone infected with the virus was longer than 21 days. Some had it days beyond the length of quarantine time and some, even for weeks. In the present outbreak, five percent of patients had an incubation period more than 21 days.
Haas suggests that a more comprehensive look on the risk factors and past cases should be examined before setting a standard. The professor has an extensive background and expertise on the risk of transmitting pathogens. He said that quarantine periods should be known by looking at costs of enforcing longer quarantines and the risk of letting go of exposed individuals.
According to him, the pathogens who have high rate of transmissibility should have longer quarantine time. The dilemma goes out to the health officials taking command in the control of Ebola outbreak. Will they risk the exposure of infection to other people than extending the quarantine time in order to be sure no pathogens can be transmitted to more individuals?