Effectss of Quarantine on the Military

Effects of Quarantine on the Military
Student’s Name
Institution Affiliation
Abstract
This article explores ways by which policies relating to public health, quarantine in specific, were legislated in the United States of America and their implications for the military. Additionally, it explains biological attack as the most lethal terror attack, and the challenges military commanders have faced in the past maintaining order and civilian operability in times of bioterrorism through quarantine, and the complexity in determining the agent of the infection. Further, the history of quarantine is discussed, changes in legislation relating to quarantine, aimed towards understanding how these changes have affected the military. Isolations and quarantine as means of preventing the spread of illness during an outbreak are compared and contrasted. Vital to this understanding is to help military commanders understand the most appropriate prevention method to apply during an epidemic that would not violate individual rights. Also, explained, are the recommended approaches by commanders during outbreaks. Military heads are to plan for a worst-case situation when handling disasters. Demonstrated is the importance of taking caution when dealing with healthcare personnel since they have the highest possibilities of contacting the infection, and the need to notify international health bodies such as the WHO. Furthermore, this paper explains the primary challenge military heads face when making emergency announcements on community health, providing the solution.

Keywords: Quarantine, isolation, military, legislation
Introduction
According to the Outbreak, a hit movie by the Warner Brothers, the only significant danger to the continued governance of the universe by man is the virus. The film depicts the struggles of the Department of Defense to prevent the spread of a lethal biological agent, providing a perfect illustration of how panic and terror can result if quarantine is executed improperly, whether caused by a deed of bioterrorism or a naturally happening infection spread by chance as illustrated in the movie (lynteris, 2016, 53).
This literature aims to ultimately define the function of quarantine as a battle-tested strategy for public health and its possible effect on military procedures in the US Air Force. The primary emphasis will be on ways a commander can run efficient processes while observing the requirements for isolation during the preceding 72-hour period after discovery of an outbreak. Seclusion may not be suitable in all situations until a diagnosis is made, which takes longer.
The 72-hour window was selected to create a window for intervention following latest bioterrorism exercises. The assessment will take place before the arrival of extra support and the official identification of the causative agent, particularly at a foreign setting up. Most of the commendations relating to the timing of isolation and sustainment will be valid irrespective of the cause of nuclear threat, location, or facility.
Literature Review
History of Quarantine
The recognized practice of quarantine dates back to the 14th century in Italy when ships boarding the Venice showed from infected regions were forced to anchor for almost forty days until landing to shield the cities along the coast from the disease outbreak. The history of the US regarding quarantine was irregular, and enactment took place in 1878 after the passage of the legislation on Federal quarantine following Yellow Fever outbreaks, even though the state community representatives remained in control. The law was then reinterpreted in 1892 on the arrival of Cholera, giving the federal officials more power in imposing confinement, which led to the dubious aiming of some given ethnic individuals as occurred within New York with Jewish Settlers. Seclusions were also placed around residents belonging to Chinese businesses after the realization of the plague in San Francisco (McDonald, 1951, 22).
Apart from quarantine, isolation is also a method for restricting movement. Isolation is the act of separating individuals suffering specific communicable diseases from the healthy individuals to prevent the spread of the disease. In dissimilarity, quarantine is the separation and prevention of movement of individuals who even though not ill, have been visible to the cause of the infection and therefore may come out to be infectious. Quarantine may be compulsory or voluntary, and while doing for the public good, it leads to the restraint of some individual freedoms. Although the requirements for isolation are usually frank and recognized by the society in the presence of plagues, opposing views exist concerning appropriate application of quarantine subordinate to fears over loss of domestic rights. Quarantine of persons is only operational for sicknesses that have the ability for communicability for instance smallpox, plague, SARS, and influenza (Binns et al., 2010, 15).
Discussion
Army commanders have several key points to learn from international studies on SARS and quarantine. Most importantly, is the comprehension that the worst natural occurrence a commander may come across is a formerly unknown infection with no person-to-person transmission, mainly relating to the respiratory system. Even though agents such as Smallpox would also have dangerous effects, response methods have already been created and treatment methods established. A new infection like the genetically-modified agent or SARS that terrorists may use demands additional planning for this worst-case situation.
Second, postponement in conducting quarantine can be devastating and may lead to complete loss of control of a situation as it happened in China. Critical actions must be synchronized in the sequence of command before the commander is served with all the answers. Also involves notifying bodies such as WHO or the CDC.
Third, medical care personnel has the highest chances of being exposed preceding to proof of identity of the outbreak, which may call for the closing of whole medical structures. Also, each infection is unique and requires knowledge of its epidemiology to come up with a strategy for treatment ultimately. The preliminary response should be broad-based and apply a worst-case setup (Lehnert et al., 2011, 68).
Recommendation
When fighting bioterrorism, it is crucial that a commander understands he is fighting two enemies, the biological agent, and the terrorist. The biological agent is the most lethal due to its extensive infiltration before it is detected. Even though sensors have been developed to identify the agents, a commander will most likely first discover an outbreak is when patients are brought to the medical structure for treatment. The result is the initial challenge most commanders face, deciding the right moment to announce the community health emergency and deciding whether quarantine is needed. Commanders are recommended to induce a “pre-emptive” action depending on the observed risk level (Prelas, 2009, 89).
Conclusion
Quarantine, as a health measure, is a best and final option for containment of a disease outbreak, especially in the situation that the diagnosis is not known and no existing medication plan for the given infection. The decision procedure taken by an installation commander need be dissimilar to the one made in a civilian situation if maintaining operability is the goal. The method should focus on the initial seventy-two hours since delay may result in implications that could devastate the successful accomplishment of the mission and may lead to an unintended spread of the illness globally.
References
Binns, P. L., Sheppeard, V., & Staff, M. P. (2010). Isolation and quarantine during pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza in NSW: the operational experience of public health units. New South Wales public health bulletin, 21(2), 10-15
Lehnert, T., Heider, D., Leicht, H., Heinrich, S., Corrieri, S., Luppa, M., … & König, H. H. (2011). Health care utilization and costs of elderly persons with multiple chronic conditions. Medical Care Research and Review, 68(4), 387-420.
Lynteris, C. (2016). The epidemiologist as culture hero: Visualizing humanity in the age of “the next pandemic”. Visual Anthropology, 29(1), 36-53.
McDonald, J. C. (1951). The history of quarantine in Britain during the 19th century. Bulletin of the History of Medicine, 25, 22.
Prelas, M. A. (2009). Biological Terrorism: Weaponization and Delivery Systems. Science and Technology of Terrorism and Counterterrorism, 89.