Quarantine, isolation and the duty of easy rescue in public health

Giubilini, Alberto; Douglas, Thomas; Maslen, Hannah; Savulescu, Julian

One reason in favour of quarantine and isolation is that they can be very effective in protecting or restoring public health. For example, the experience of the 2003 SARS outbreak demonstrated that infectious diseases like SARS can sometimes be contained if a series of timely measures are implemented, including the early identification of infected people and contact tracing as well as timely quarantine and isolation measures.11 Mathematical models have suggested that some emerging infectious diseases at the initial stages can be successfully contained when there is a high probability that an asymptomatic but contagious individual will be placed in quarantine before developing symptoms.12 Granted, the benefits of quarantine and isolation depend on the context and the their effectiveness in particular cases has often been contested.13 In what follows we will be assuming, supported by the evidence and data provided, that quarantine and isolation can at least in certain cases be effective; we intend our arguments to apply only to such cases.