Here is a quote from the man responsible for the eradication of smallpox. He died a few years ago, so he was speaking generally, not in regard to our current situation. Very prescient.
Donald A. Henderson, MD…
“ The interest in quarantine reflects the views and conditions prevalent more than 50 years ago, when much less was known about the epidemiology of infectious diseases and when there was far less international and domestic travel in a less densely populated world.
It is difficult to identify circumstances in the past half-century when large-scale quarantine has been effectively used in the control of any disease. The negative consequences of large-scale quarantine are so extreme (forced confinement of sick people with the well; complete restriction of movement of large populations; difficulty in getting critical supplies, medicines, and food to people inside the quarantine zone) that this mitigation measure should be eliminated from serious consideration.”
- Disease Mitigation Measures in the Control of Pandemic Influenza (2006)
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