Why can't these health care workers who've been exposed to Ebola just wait 21 days?

[BellaKos]

170. Something to be considered

There are now three incidents where health care workers did not comply strictly with the CDC protocols of self-monitoring which limit mass transportation and contact with crowds: Doctor Snyderman went out to a restaurant. Amber Vinson got on a plane. And Doctor Spensor went bowling and traveled on a subway.
From that we know that all health care workers cannot be trusted to comply with CDC recommendations.

Meanwhile, as a result of Amber Vinson's trip to Ohio, Frontier Airlines had to ground and sanitize planes. The company has no doubt lost Christmas business. And the bridal shop where Vinson spent three hours was closed down for a period of time. (Has it reopened yet?) We don't know if the merchandise in the shop had to be thrown out, but we do know that the hourly-wage, retail clerks who worked there lost income. We also know that 100 people now have to be monitored because of their exposure to Vinson. CDC simply doesn't have enough people to track countless numbers of possible contacts if this kind of thing were to continue.

Doctor Spensor's bowling night resulted in the bowling alley being shut down, therefore impacting not only that business but hourly-wage employees there as well. And his trip on the subway concerned, if not frightened, the general public in New York.

So on balance, a forced quarantine is necessary because not all health care workers comply with the protocols of self-monitoring. And by not doing so, there is a negative impact on the general public, businesses, and their employees. Science has less to do with it than does the flow of commerce, the mental security of the general public, and -- let's face it -- human nature.

People are wringing their hands over the possible loss of income and inconvenience of health care workers, while I'm more concerned about the retail employee in the bridal shop not being able to pay her rent or buy Christmas presents because she has lost at least a week's worth of income -- if not 21 days of income. I'm also concerned about the owner of the bridal shop. Will anyone return to her shop ever again now that they *perceive* it to be contaminated?

I have very little sympathy for the nurse in Maine when I see that defiance of a quarantine has a rather large ripple effect on many people who have fewer resources than she.