# Protocol for POTENTIALLY sick patients from Ebola countries? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 10, 2014, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/protocol-for-potentially-sick-patients-from-ebola-countries/700997 "2014-10-10T21:08:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/protocol-for-potentially-sick-patients-from-ebola-countries/700997/1 "2014-10-10T21:08:43Z")
I understand both Canada and the US are implementing procedures for checking everyone coming from countries where Ebola is occuring for fever as well as watching for obvious signs of illness. I think something similar was done during the SARS pandemic a few years ago. Seems like a good idea, BUT what is (or was) the protocol when a person who is feverish but not otherwise having signs of serious illness is discovered? There are numerous reasons (especially when coming from that neck of the woods) for having a fever or being ill on an aircraft (travel sickness from a rough flight comes to mind for nausea and vomiting, maybe associated with a cold). I find it hard to picture that many people being hustled into isolation units at the nearest major hospital. Note that I am NOT arguing WHETHER to isolate such passengers, just HOW. What is/was the protocol for dealing with a suspect but not gravely ill passenger when they go through customs and immigration? ---
**Author:** ![Toastmaker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Toastmaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toastmaker)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/protocol-for-potentially-sick-patients-from-ebola-countries/700997/2 "2014-10-11T14:24:27Z")
Protocol? 1. Shoot them 2. Burn the bodies 3. Repeat Yes, I’m just kidding. . . ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/protocol-for-potentially-sick-patients-from-ebola-countries/700997/3 "2014-10-11T18:39:29Z")
Some major airports in the United States apparently have on-site [quarantine facilities](http://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/quarantinestationcontactlistfull.html). A further assessment would need to be done, possibly all the way up to full blood testing for the indicated disease which could take a couple days. In the case of ebola at least, fever IS a major symptom. But as the OP surmised, fever is a major symptom of a LOT of other diseases as well. Thus the possibility of a quarantine facility becoming overwhelmed. Pre-screening passengers at their point of departure in the affected areas is a major step towards preventing quarantine overload at destination airports. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/protocol-for-potentially-sick-patients-from-ebola-countries/700997/4 "2014-10-11T20:08:02Z")
People who were quarantined in China during swine flu were just put in a hotel. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/protocol-for-potentially-sick-patients-from-ebola-countries/700997/5 "2014-10-11T22:05:34Z")
Throw up -\> get your temp checked -\> further triage if needed would be my guess. ---
**Author:** ![J-P\_L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/j-p_l/32/3156_2.png) [@J-P\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J-P_L)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/protocol-for-potentially-sick-patients-from-ebola-countries/700997/6 "2014-10-11T22:10:44Z")
How does the quarantine area works? Is it one big room or multiple small one. If everybody is lumped together, if one person really has Ebola, then they’ll all have it. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/protocol-for-potentially-sick-patients-from-ebola-countries/700997/7 "2014-10-11T23:05:58Z")
> [@susan](#): > > Throw up -\> get your temp checked -\> further triage if needed would be my guess. Of course, but I am asking about more specific details. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/protocol-for-potentially-sick-patients-from-ebola-countries/700997/8 "2014-10-11T23:28:04Z")
-\> quarantine with further swabbing and sticking, as others have said, I WAG. Unless someone knows, it’s all WAGs. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/protocol-for-potentially-sick-patients-from-ebola-countries/700997/9 "2014-10-11T23:41:35Z")
> [@](#): > > Passengers arriving at JFK from Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone will be taken to an area of the airport designated for the screenings. Officials will question each passenger to find out if they have possibly been exposed to Ebola. Staff will take the passengers’ body temperature and check for other symptoms of the disease. > > … > > “Everything was cool,” said Mr. Haliu, 31 years old, who said his flight first connected in Jordan, then Paris, before arriving at JFK. “They just checked our temperature to make sure we don’t have Ebola and after that we just went to the terminal.” > > … > > If a traveler exhibits symptoms of Ebola or has been exposed to the disease, the CDC will determine whether that person will be allowed to continue their travel, be taken to a hospital for evaluation or referred to local health department for monitoring. Wall Street Journal, [http://online.wsj.com/articles/ebola-screenings-begin-at-jfk-airport-1413036019](http://online.wsj.com/articles/ebola-screenings-begin-at-jfk-airport-1413036019) ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2014, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/protocol-for-potentially-sick-patients-from-ebola-countries/700997/10 "2014-10-12T01:03:31Z")
> [@J-P\_L](#): > > How does the quarantine area works? > > Is it one big room or multiple small one. > > If everybody is lumped together, if one person really has Ebola, then they’ll all have it. No, they won’t. I wouldn’t hang out in Ebola rooms for fun, but Ebola is spread through fulids and you aren’t likely to get it just sharing a room with someone in the early stages, especially if that room is cleaned properly.