Isolation and Quarantine

Isolation: For People Who Are Ill

Isolation refers to the separation of persons who have a specific infectious illness from those who are healthy and the restriction of their movement to stop the spread of that illness. Isolation allows for the focused delivery of specialized health care to people who are ill, and it protects healthy people from getting sick. People in isolation may be cared for in their homes, in hospitals, or in designated healthcare facilities. Isolation is a standard procedure used in hospitals today for patients with tuberculosis (TB) and certain other infectious diseases. In most cases, isolation is voluntary; however, many levels of government (federal, state, and local) have basic authority to compel isolation of sick people to protect the public.

Quarantine: For People Who Have Been Exposed But Are Not Il

Quarantine refers to the separation and restriction of movement of persons who, while not yet ill, have been exposed to an infectious agent and therefore may become infectious. Quarantine of exposed persons is a public health strategy, like isolation, that is intended to stop the spread of infectious disease. Quarantine is medically very effective in protecting the public from disease.
References taken from http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/isolationquarantine.htm

Isolation and Quarantine

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Fact Sheets -
Isolation and Quarantine (PDF)
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/sars_facts/isolationquarantine.pdf

Controlling the Spread of Contagious Diseases: Quarantine and Isolation
http://www.redcross.org/preparedness/cdc_english/IsoQuar.asp

History of Quarantine
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/history.htm

Legal Authoritites for Isolation and Quarantine (PDF)
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/sars_facts/quarantineqa.pdf

SARS - CDC Fact Sheet on Legal Authorities for Isolation & Quarantine
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/pdf/factsheetlegal.pdf

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