Would you prefer to be in quarantine or isolation?

There may be some confusion about the words quarantine and isolation. Last week, I wrote about the confusion some people have about the name of an infectious disease and the name of the microorganism that causes it.

Quarantine

Quarantine is when you may have been exposed to a contagion (a disease spread by close contact) and you need to be sequestered to avoid spreading the contagion to others. Quarantine is a precautionary measure because while exposure or even the possibility of exposure doesn’t mean you have been infected. It’s a safety measure to avoid spreading an infection to others, especially vulnerable others who may have never been exposed to the contagion.

In the days of the black death otherwise known as plague (caused by Yersinia pestis), ships would go into a forty-day period of quarantine. It was thought forty days was long enough to observe if the plague would “reveal itself” on board the ship. If no one demonstrated signs or symptoms of plague after forty days, the people on the ship were free to leave the boat and set foot on land.

Bigger fines and more criminal prosecutions, please

In Australia, we have animal quarantine rules which are enforced to prevent the entry of diseases which could affect our ability to trade with other countries. More important than the trade implications though, these measures maintain the health and welfare of the animals we have in Australia. We don’t want disease and pestilence here if it can be prevented by good plant and animal biosecurity measures.

It’s bloody annoying when celebrities think it’s okay to flout our regulations and bring their pet dogs in on private jets or when people knowingly bring pork products in when there is a risk of African swine fever virus (AFSV) being brought in which would devastate our pork industry. African swine fever (ASF) is a tick-borne disease of pigs which can also be transmitted in pigs and swine by eating infected porcine products.

I’d like to see bigger fines and more criminal prosecutions of people who knowingly flout the rules.

Isolation

Isolation is when you are known to have a communicable infectious disease and the aim is to stop you from spreading the infection to others by isolating you away from others. This shouldn’t be confused with reverse isolation when you want to protect a vulnerable patient from being infected by others. One of the greatest tragedies that can beset a patient in reverse isolation in a positive pressure room is to have someone (usually through ignorance) switch the pressure to negative pressure. This is why swinging rooms are a BAD idea. Swinging rooms may save money, but after a fatal mistake, the cost can be astronomical.

Are you confused?

I reckon it’s fair enough to be confused. It certainly confuses a lot of people. When you read in an authoritative text the words quarantine and isolation, the meaning should be clear.

I’m normally critical of journalists who strive for the lowest common denominator by using words like they’re tossing a salad with no care for accuracy, precision, or correctness. When it comes to “quarantine and isolation” though, I can understand why journalists get confused. That said, journalists for medical and healthcare publications should know better.

There’s a good amount of confusion and some ignorance on Twitter too. Click on the image and check out the thread to see how confused Tweeps can be.

Hang on…riddle me this. If you’ve tested POSITIVE for Corona virus while in quarantine….shouldn’t you STAY IN QUARANTINE??? Not be flown, exposing more people (cabin crew, airport, hospital staff etc) to your home states to be quarantined again? 🤔🤔

— The Peanut Gallery (@_shanmoho) February 21, 2020

Then I saw this? Click on the image below to interact with the thread.

Even if you survive, you are a carrier of the virus for life, and can pass it onto others

— Paul Chapman 🇬🇧 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (@Chappyonthemove) February 21, 2020

Unlike infection with HIV, infections with coronaviruses are usually cleared by the immunological system. In normal healthy humans, persistent infection doesn’t usually occur.

I learnt this stuff in high school biology. I think we need more STEM in high school. I think biology should be compulsory in high school but I accept I’m biased (and arrogant) like that.

What have I watched this week?

Stargate Universe

I’ve now completed Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis. I’ve now started watching Stargate Universe. It’s quite dark. I’ve only watched four episodes of season one so far. It’s hard going. The character of Dr Rush makes Dr McKay from SG-1 and Atlantis look like a saint.

Star Trek: Picard

“Stardust City Rag“

Wow. Just wow. Seven is awesome. Seven is amazing. I ❤️ Seven.

What have I listened to this week?

NEJM Journal Watch: Clinical Conversations

Episode 253 was about Human Papillomavirus vaccination. It appears one dose in the context of vaccine shortage may be as effective as the full course.

I have trouble understanding why people are against this vaccine. It prevents malignant disease. It prevents cervical carcinoma in women. It prevents throat and anorectal carcinomas in men and women who practice oral and anal intercourse. It prevents penile malignancies in men. The only way to avoid most of these malignancies without the vaccine is to avoid any sexual contact with another human.

Open the Iris

I’ve started listening to Open the Iris which is a Stargate Podcast. It’s sort of done in a style similar to Mission Log which is a Star Trek podcast. Each episode opens with a monologue describing the episode and the hosts have a chat about what the episode means for them.

I like this sort of podcast because it provides a good summary of the episode and helps me order in my mind the events of the episode better after I’ve seen it and listened to the monologue. I may not always agree with the interpretation of the meanings morals and messages shared by the hosts but it’s usually helpful to hear what others are thinking about some of my favourite TV shows.

What have I eaten and photographed this week?

Photographs

It’s been a good food week. It’s not been a good week for losing weight 😂🤔

This is a gallery of photographs. Click on one image and scroll through the rest of them.

Yummy Lummy this week

I made a prawn scallop and speck fried cauliflower rice meal for dinner and wrote up a recipe on Yummy Lummy.

Random Yummy

Sunday Duck and butter
Monday Salmon and schrooms
Tuesday Chicken and salad
Wednesday Chicken and peas
Thursday Potato gems
Friday Takeaway potato scallops with seafood salad and coleslaw
Saturday Prawn scallop and speck fried cauliflower rice

Final thoughts

• How do you feel about swinging rooms?
• Should there be bigger fines and more criminal prosecutions for people who flout our plant and animal biosecurity regulations?
• Do you think there should be more STEM taught in school?