Nurse in Newark to Be Allowed to Finish Ebola Quarantine at Home, Christie Says

[brooklynite]

Source: NY Times

A nurse who recently returned from West Africa and was quarantined for the past three days in a tent behind a New Jersey hospital despite having no symptoms associated with Ebola will be allowed to return home to serve out the rest of her mandatory quarantine.

Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, in a brief interview, said that he expected her to be transferred Monday morning after doctors and federal officials signed off on the plan.

The treatment of the nurse, Kaci Hickox, has drawn withering criticism from both public health officials and the nurse herself. Ms. Hickox lives in Fort Kent, Me.

“I’m hopeful that this morning if all goes well we’ll be able to release her and send her back to Maine,” Mr. Christie said.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/28/nyregion/nurse-in-newark-to-be-allowed-to-finish-ebola-quarantine-at-home-christie-says.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0

[mnhtnbb]

1. "He messed with the wrong redhead".

LOL. I hope she reams Christie's butt in court.

[riderinthestorm]

2. His attorney must have finally knocked $ome $en$e into him

Her lawsuit is going to be a thing of beauty

[leftynyc]

5. Her lawsuit

is going to be laughed out of court.

[riderinthestorm]

10. We'll see. Singled out for no reason, her right to medical privacy under HIPAA violated

(Christie deliberately lied about her condition). No other returning personnel were treated this way and NOW Christie reverses the policy?

Im guessing a fair few lawyers would disagree with you.

But we'll see.

[leftynyc]

12. I've already spoken to two lawyers

and that's how I came to the conclusion I did.

[seabeyond]

19. i want to see. someone elsewhere provided some info, addressing it from a specific

angle.

i will wait and see before believing two lawyers, who knows their position, word of mouth.

[leftynyc]

27. Even if it gets to trial

You wont find 6 or 12 people who will go after the state for trying to protect their citizens. That's how it's going to be presented and this woman's inconvenience is not going to sway them. It's her attitude that's the problem Her whining hysteria is turning off a lot of people who would normally have a lot of compassion for her (but will still not find that taxpayers owe her a dime).

[seabeyond]

28. hence my position, saying i want to hear from others and not trust yours. your position is

clear.

personally, i think there are way more educated, reasonable people with common sense that will understand the fearmongering amongst the ignorant, and the ridiculous self anointed law christie and cuomo implemented with no thought, academic or scientific position.

in otherwords, get some educated on that jury and it will be an easy win.

[leftynyc]

32. LOL - good luck with that

You think a jury is going to find that they and all the other taxpayers should have to pay for Christie being an asshole. Not a chance. I sure wouldn't.

[seabeyond]

44. obviously you would not. nt

[elehhhhna]

59. whining hysteria,because if it was a man he'd be all manly

About being held against his will on a gd unheated effing tent in a parking lot.

[leftynyc]

75. You don't think I would accuse

a man of the same thing? But go ahead and call me a misogynist because given how those labels are thrown around here, they've ceased to have any meaning at all.

[blackspade]

86. This was not about 'protecting citizens.'

It was about ginning up fear for political gain.
And it obviously worked even here at DU.

[riderinthestorm]

22. The HIPAA violations alone are significant and serious

Any lawyer blowing those off would be pretty cavalier imo

[leftynyc]

29. She's claiming her civil rights

are being infringed and the state is saying they're doing what they're doing out of an abundance of caution to protect their citizens. You really think you're going to find a jury that will stick their taxpayers with a bill for this nurse's inconvenience when we've already had two health professionals (3 if you count Snyderman) ignore that protocol? The lawyers I spoke to went right to what a jury or judge would think and not the status of her arguments.

[snappyturtle]

43. I thought she claimed her basic human rights were infringed.

Of course, I've also heard that her consitutional rights were violated. ?????

[leftynyc]

52. Yes - I've heard both those things

also but whether she did or didn't isn't really what I'm talking about. The lawyers I talked to about this had zero to say about the merits of her case and were only talking about whether she could win it. They both said zero chance for the reasons I pointed out above. Is he wants to pay a bundle to a lawyer to lose, that's her choice.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

49. Juries are not generally allowed to hear where the money for their verdict comes from.

And in many cases states carry insurance for tort liability.

[msanthrope]

26. Well, here's a third who is going to tell you that she has a significant lawsuit

potential.

Christie stepped in it when he called her "obviously ill." He fucked up, and he will pay for it.

[leftynyc]

31. I don't think so

You're talking about whether a judge or jury would stick taxpayers with that bill (no state lawyer is going to let them get away with saying this money is coming out of Christie's pocket). The lawyers I spoke to said no chance.

[msanthrope]

33. You think this is taxpayer money? Christie is fucked, because he isn't shielded from libel or

HIPPA violations by virtue of his office.

This is his pocket.

And the defense attorneys won't be able to mention where the payout will come from.

[leftynyc]

36. It will be taxpayer money

and let's not pretend otherwise. Not one dime will come out of the acting Governor's pocket as he did this as the governing official of New Jersey. And what law would prevent the attorney's from telling the truth?

[msanthrope]

41. First and foremost, Christie is not shielded for criminal acts, or for certain

torts just because he is governor. Second of all, the jury is generally not allowed to consider where the source of payment of judgment is coming from because it is completely irrelevant to the facts. A jury instruction would be given.

[leftynyc]

70. So you're hoping the

jury will be filled with people smart enough to understand ebola and dumb enough to not understand they'll be the ones paying any fine levied against Christie. Got it.

[Dawson Leery]

68. 61% voted for Christie. The taxpayers of the state should

be liable for any payments regarding a suit.

[leftynyc]

72. Good luck with that argument

That because 61% voted for an asshole the rest are 100% responsible for what's happened to this nurse.

[Shrike47]

54. In my state, Oregon, attorneys cannot discuss who will actually pay.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

46. You might want to talk to these lawyers, who disagree -

as this article published by the American Bar Association explains:

http://www.americanbar.org/publications/law_practice_today_home/law_practice_today_archive/april11/protecting_civil_liberties_during_quarantine_and_isolation_in_public_health_emergencies.html

[PADemD]

45. Gov. Christie was probably informed that a medical professional with a 101 fever

was returning from working with Ebola patients in a country in West Africa. It would be logical, per CDC guidelines, to isolate and investigate possible Ebola infection.

A scanner temperature that is not confirmed by oral temperature should require the scanner to be sent out for recalibration. All scanners should be frequently recalibrated.

After the Texas fiasco, any other state would react the same way if presented with a medical professional who worked with Ebola patients and had a 101 fever.

Texas was reactive, and New York and New Jersey are being proactive.

[rocktivity]

91. She was a pale-skinned, red-haired medical professional who should have been listened to

when she said her skin flushes when she's under stress. Did they believe she was delirious from her fever or lying when she said that, or that medical professionals don't know anything?

And now that she's taught us that forehead scanner temperatures are NOT reliable, let's make it part of the airport protocol that all above-normal forehead scanner readings be confirmed by an oral one. (Of course, people so potentially contagious that they need to be quarantined shouldn't be allowed to get on planes in the first place, but that's beside the point.)

Can't we at least learn from this mistake?


rocktivity

[adigal]

3. I wonder how often she will head out for take-out

Or maybe a little bowling?

If she does any of these things, or breaks her quarantine, she should be arrested for endangering the public.

[magical thyme]

4. So her quarantine instituted in NJ will hold up in Maine? We'll see how Gov. 38% responds to that.

My guess is that here in Maine she'll be back on self-monitoring. Christie has no jurisdiction here last time I looked.

I don't think we're so paranoid up here. Of course, LePage is a bully too, so maybe Christie has already collaborated with him. Time will tell.

[seabeyond]

16. that is what i was thinking. his pompous ass saying, she can finish self quarantine. whotf is he

to be making demands of her?

thanks

[adigal]

57. Glad she's leaving our neck of the woods, so,if she goes out for take-out

You guys can share the wealth with her.

[seabeyond]

62. you are understanding how ignorant about the disease that sounds? a woman that does not have,

does not have any symptoms that would put her to a point of contagious, that is sitting in a car, in a parking lot well away from the restaurant, .....

might INFECT the entire restaurant.

you understand why people have their mouth hanging open, that anyone would be running around with hair on fire.... and not using the restaurant.

the absurdities are just simply so beyond outrageous in simple logic, common sense and intelligence.

[blackspade]

87. No shit.

The fear mongering, even here at DU, is fucking appalling.

[adigal]

93. Do you see that she won't keep quarantine in Maine?? I guess all of you who trusted her because she

is a medical worker look pretty naive now, huh??

[blackspade]

94. why would she?

She is not symptomatic.

[magical thyme]

92. she's in my neck of the woods right now

and I'm happy to welcome her home.

If I knew her personally, I'd happily visit her.

[seabeyond]

14. really. the horrors a person without ebola, sat in a car, while a friend walked into a restaurant

picked up food and walked out.

and this is what you claim, is reason?

[adigal]

61. Under what part of quarantine does it say, "OK to travel to restaurant with friend."

Crickets

[seabeyond]

64. crickets? at what point have i ever stayed quiet. and in the most absurd example that you

and others use, .... having to laugh my fuckin ass off at the outrage of a doctor, that well knows the disease, is in a car, well away from the restaurant, and a person walks in, picks up soup and walks out.....

and dumbshits refuse to use that restaurant. and dumbshits, three weeks later or more still will not go into the restaurant.

because a woman that does not have ebola, totally cleared of ever having ebola, who did not even walk into the restaurant, was in the fuckin vicinity.

it just simply does not get more stupid than that.

[magical thyme]

15. and in further capitulation, the released statement says Maine laws will take over when she returns

"Health officials in Maine have been notified of her arrangements and will make a determination under their own laws on her treatment when she arrives," the New Jersey statement said.

[seabeyond]

17. ohhhhh, let them slap christie upside the head with reason. lol. nt

[magical thyme]

18. not to mention, as far as I know no "laws" have been enacted regarding people who have treated Ebola

patients.

Can't wait to see those "laws" go through the legislature...

[TwilightGardener]

48. I think anyone who breaks quarantine and ends up infected should be WIDE OPEN

to any lawsuits and recovery of money from businesses that have to be shut down for a day or more, any resources spent on law enforcement and public officials rounding up contacts, etc. Add up the cost, and bill these doctors and nurses. This excludes the poor folks from Dallas, who unlike this gal DID NOT SEEK to care for ebola patients and were just employees doing their best and didn't know better.

[adigal]

55. Agreed - and maybe arrested for endangering the public

If they went out and about when they were supposed to be quarantining themselves.

[seabeyond]

58. self MONITORING, not self QUARANTINE. words matter. those two words are different.

the doctors self monitor. when symptoms appear the cal the appropriate org to address the issue.

that is what has happened with each and everyone.

that would suggest self MONITORING works.

[Brigid]

90. "Gal?"

"Gal?" Really? Kaci Hickox is a nurse with graduate degrees in public health and epidemiology. She's not a "gal."

[truebluegreen]

77. Asymptomatic? She should be arrested for bowling, or getting take-out?

Both of those are dangerous endeavors, I grant you, but not to the public.

[ReRe]

6. I'd still sue his ass n/t

[seabeyond]

13. me, too. nt

[leftynyc]

34. And stick the New Jersey taxpayers

with the bill? Let's not pretend Christie would have to pay up.

[ReRe]

40. Well, if she sued the state of New Jersey...

... yeah that would be the unfortunate consequences of having a big-mouth mafioso-style Republican governor. They elected the guy, with the help of a bunch of DINOs.

I don't know why one couldn't sue him personally. You're not suing his employer, after all.

[adigal]

56. And if she gets anyone sick from breaking quarantine, she should be sued

and maybe charged with endangering the public

[ReRe]

88. Dream on...

... it ain't gonna' happen.

[greatlaurel]

7. After being shamed in public, the twin bullies, Cuoma and Christie are trying to safe face.

What a couple of ignorant fools. How many other decisions of those two are just as poorly thought out while they juggle their political self interests. Their abuse of teachers is the same idiocy.

[magical thyme]

9. that, plus it may have dawned on them that it is really, really expensive to lock up healthy people

in an isolation tent in a hospital.

[seabeyond]

11. ignorant fools. not to mention his lying ass about her having symptoms

what they did was illegal. morally, ethically, common sense and logically, wrong. little dweebs.

over the weekend, a nation and this nurse, yea her mouth and not taking this shit, took him down

thanks pres

[greatlaurel]

23. This nurse outed the Christie corruption for what it is.

Too bad there is no one in the media that could do this.

[seabeyond]

25. it has been a great eye opening civic lesson for my 17 yr old. this morning,

it took us back to tsa and patriot act. experiences we had had in airports, before the naked machines and i said... no. done flying.

creating a false illusion because of peoples fears, and demanding we accept it as truth, cause of the ignorant.

[greatlaurel]

30. Exactly, I am really shocked at the number of people at DU defending Christie.

Does the GOP have that many people working to troll this site or there just that many people who do not understand basic science?

[leftynyc]

35. I'm not defending Christie

I'm saying the New Jersey taxpayers aren't going to sit on a jury and find themselves culpable and responsible to pay this woman a dime for their governor doing something out of an abundance of caution.

[ReRe]

42. Er...

... out of an abundance of politics.

[AndreaCG]

79. And holding her in what she said was an unheated tent

No running water, no shower, dressed in paper scrubs when it gets below 50 degrees at night, etc isn't reason to sue? Convicted felons are treated better than she was. Do you see my point or are you totally heartless like Christie?

[leftynyc]

80. I do see your point

I'm just saying (for the dozenth time) that it'll never get past a jury (if it doesn't get thrown out altogether). BTW the way you asked that last question was so fucking childish.

[AndreaCG]

81. And yet you use the words fucking childish

To object to my asking if you are heartless. Pot, meet kettle.

[leftynyc]

82. I wasn't objecting

I truly couldn't possibly care less. Just pointing out the obvious.

[AndreaCG]

83. You could have done that without swearing

You seem to be someone who believes in double standards. It's only rude when someone else does it.

[adigal]

60. I am not a troll and I think every person who was in Africa treating patients

Should be quarantined.

That's so typical, attack the person because they disagree with you.

[seabeyond]

63. every person in the u.s. treating patients should be quarantined.

that is your position, correct?

[Kali]

69. nah, attacking stupidity and lame right wing style ignorance is fine

I am shocked at the irrational fear, ignorance of geography and basic biology, and utter lack of logic that I see over this subject.

[BumRushDaShow]

74. "I think every person who was in Africa treating patients should be quarantined"

How about doing the same for every person who is treating patients or even has been to Russia or Eastern Europe due to those areas having the fastest growing incidences of HIV AIDS. It took 22 years for a President to lift the travel ban on those infected as it is.

See how that works?

[BumRushDaShow]

39. "before the naked machines"

Touche!

But the difference here is that a state unilaterally made policy as a result of someone's "interstate/international" travel, that is supposed to be handled under the jurisdiction of (and in consultation with) the federal government, since she "crossed a border" to get to NJ from overseas. It's similar to states like AZ that keep trying to create their own immigration laws and policies while ignoring federal authority over the matter, and they eventually get smacked down in court!

[seabeyond]

50. yes. thank you for the info. and yes, it is not the same. i was referring more to loss of right

out of fear, than the technical. but, you are correct. thanks.

[BumRushDaShow]

53. I had no issue with your comments

I just added to them!

Christie is the new Jan Brewer!

This image is telling...

[seabeyond]

8. fucker. literally, this little weasel pisses me off. she took him down. nt

[marble falls]

20. It does my heart good to see Christie backed off.

[mountain grammy]

21. This is one remarkable woman

and Chris Christie is not good enough to shine her shoes as he is miserable excuse for a human being.

[greatlaurel]

24. Great post!

Sums it up very well. Thanks!

[riversedge]

38. She gave him a public bashing--which he deseved! She used her brains against

his (Gov Christies) vile ideology!!

[Dawson Leery]

66. Chris Christie is not good enough to eat s**t out of a toilet bowl.

[KingCharlemagne]

71. That's an image which I am going to have a very difficult time

getting out of my head. But I agree with you and others in this sub-thread 1000%. Christie's unctuous demagoguery makes me want to

[greatlaurel]

76. Unctuous is the best word to describe Christie.

Definitely applies to a bunch of right wingers. John Kasich should have his picture in the dictionary for unctuous. Great post!

[riversedge]

37. well golly gee, thanke gov!!

[rocktivity]

47. If she's such a high threat of being contaigous that she had to be placed in a prison camp

Last edited Mon Oct 27, 2014, 02:29 PM - Edit history (1)

she shouldn't have been issued a plane ticket in the first place. At the very least, make all travelers from or through Ebola-affected countries wait for 21 days.

It was perfectly safe for her to get on a commercial flight -- you're in no danger of infecting anyone if you aren't showing symptoms, right? But the minute you cross a border, you're such a potential threat you're whisked into solitary confinement? Is the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey hurting for airline ticket income THAT much?


rocktivity

[oldandhappy]

51. She was kidnapped.

In the middle of all this I want to give a shout out to Johns Hopkins. I have met some of these students in hard places in the world doing as she did -- giving up 'off' time to volunteer in places many of us do not want to go. Clearly the school encourages the students to do this extra work and to gain extra experience as part of their program. The students in this masters program are terrific people -- and smart. They are part of my hope. On top of everything else, she is probably missing school. Hope Johns Hopkins will work with her on that.

[Dawson Leery]

65. She needs to sue the state of New Jersey (and the taxpayers)

need to pay for it since they gave him 61% of the vote.

[seabeyond]

67. i am thinking. and i am pretty opposed to law suits. he did the bridge, and i see no repercussion.

the man does not get to do what ever the fuck he wants.

he fuckin lied saying she had a fever. saying she was getting worse. saying not ebola but something so we have to keep her.

lied.

pisses me off.

he does not get to do that.

[KingCharlemagne]

73. Christie really reminds me of Sen. Joseph McCarthy in McCarthy's heyday. Eventually

Joseph Welch managed to sink the good ship S.S. Joe McCarthy. But not before McCarthy had impugned the reputation(s) of the giant General George C. Marshall and his staff.

[Kalidurga]

78. This is really bad news...

for the hair on fire crowd.

[yellowcanine]

84. Thanks for nothing Christie. Why don't you cause a traffic jam or something?

Something you know how to do. Medical practice ain't it.

[blackspade]

85. About time.

Christie is such a grandstanding fascist.

[Darb]

89. Thinks he's some kind of King or Dictator, what a putz.

What a condescending prick.