Saturday 25 October 2014

Executive Order 13295 "Symptoms of... other respiratory illness" = catch-all?

Does the change mean anything beyond the practicalities of mitigating, monitoring or managing an outbreak. Does it provide a catch-all to withhold anyone for any reason? It's not supposed to apply to common flu, but the initial stages of many infections, Ebola included, are similar to those of the common cold, so some determination process has to be performed to filter one from the other which might include (require) quarantine.
"(b) Severe acute respiratory syndromes, which are diseases that are associated with fever and signs and symptoms of pneumonia or other respiratory illness, are capable of being transmitted from person to person, and that either are causing, or have the potential to cause, a pandemic, or, upon infection, are highly likely to cause mortality or serious morbidity if not properly controlled. This subsection does not apply to influenza." [emphasis added]
Additional links
Executive Order 13295: Revised List Of Quarantinable Communicable Diseases (CDC)
Executive Order -- Revised List of Quarantinable Communicable Diseases (White House)

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