Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?

The ethics of Ebola quarantines

Kaci Hickox, Ted Wilbur
Nurse Kaci Hickox, right, and her boyfriend, Ted Wilbur are followed by a Maine State Trooper as they ride bikes on a trail near her home in Fort Kent, Maine, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014. The couple went on an hour-long ride. State officials are going to court to keep Hickox in quarantine for the remainder of the 21-day incubation period for Ebola that ends on Nov. 10. Police are monitoring her, but can't detain her without a court order signed by a judge.
Robert F. Bukaty/AP

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Log inCreate a free Account

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Maine Gov. Paul LePage says he's ready to use the "full extent" of his authority to protect the public from Ebola.

A nurse, Kaci Hickox, who treated Ebola patients in Sierra Leone, is challenging Maine's requirement that people who have had contact with Ebola patients be isolated for 21 days after exposure. She says she has no symptoms and poses no risk to the public.

The Army is requiring a similar quarantine for soldiers returning from West Africa, but White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said that same protocol isn't necessary for civilians.

"The science would not back that up," Earnest said. "In fact, implementing this military policy in a civilian context would only have the effect of hindering our Ebola response by dissuading civilian doctors and nurses from traveling to West Africa to stop the outbreak in its tracks."

Bioethicist Jeff Kahn joins The Daily Circuit to talk about what policymakers are considering when confronted with citizens who have been near Ebola patients.