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US Citizen Quarantined For Life

azcentral.com — A young man sits in a locked room in the detention ward at Maricopa Medical Center, under sheriff's guard. He is not allowed a TV a cellphone or visitors. A video camera catches his every move. He has been isolated here for eight months and is expected to remain much longer, perhaps until he dies. But Robert Daniels is not charged with any crime.

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  • AZinferno, on 10/12/2007, -13/+224Is society morally right to sacrifice the life of an individual to protect others? Makes you ponder some important utilitarian principals. Whether or not it's justified, they should at least give the poor bastard a TV.
    • wbreim, on 10/12/2007, -9/+125I agree, why can't they make him a bubble boy? throw in a nintendo ds lite with all the games, books and of course a laptop with wifi and someway to recharge so he can check out digg.
    • jeremy66158, on 10/12/2007, -10/+204Can you infect people with TB via TV?
    • godofpumpkins, on 10/12/2007, -12/+113It seems ridiculous to use the detention center because it's the only place suitable for his condition, but to treat him as a criminal because he's in there. It just makes no sense to treat him as a criminal because the state has nowhere better to put him than a jail. People are social beings and solitary confinement is a cruel punishment used only to punish particularly violent criminals. It's ***** to treat him like that just because of the center's protocol, and people should speak out.
    • danmanmktng, on 10/12/2007, -81/+5I don't think this guy is a citizen -- they should just deport him... or at least give him a TV
    • devindotcom, on 10/12/2007, -14/+125Certainly they could give him a more pleasant stay, but the guy is basically a walking biological weapon. He was asked to remain in quarantine, agreed, then decided to go out anyway. The guy could kill hundreds, thousands of people very easily - EDRTB is very contagious and at the moment totally incurable.

      Sure, it's not his fault that he has this disease, but it's society's responsibility to quarantine him for the safety of everyone else. Imagine if there was a guy who was able to give you AIDS by coughing near you. Sucks for everybody, but he is dangerous and needs to be contained.
    • omatsei, on 10/12/2007, -24/+34This guy intentionally and willfully put others' lives at risk. It might not be against the law, but what better reason could there be to lock someone up away from other people? It's no different than driving without a license or waving a gun around in a mall, except both of those actions were specifically outlawed by bureaucrats in offices. If you're willfully putting other people at risk of death, you should be locked up. It's no different than what happens when a kid in elementary school gets pink eye... they isolate him and keep him away from the other kids.
    • RoskMachine, on 10/12/2007, -7/+30I disagree: I think this question can be answered on deontological grounds. You see, if he goes into the public with full knowledge of the nature of his disease, he is in effect coercing others. Thus it is okay to detain him, since by not detaining him he almost automatically coerces others. This could certainly be done in a much more humane fashion, however.
    • gotamd, on 10/12/2007, -3/+44Yeah, I think they should attempt to make him comfortable. He should not be allowed in public, however, after doing what he did. Knowingly exposing hundreds of people to an extremely contagious and deadly disease is not ok.
    • hambend, on 10/12/2007, -3/+194"Daniels is housed in Station 41, a room where air flows only in, not out."

      ...what?
    • whataboutb0b, on 10/12/2007, -1/+21for TB pts they put them in an isolation room that only allows airflow in to prevent spreading the disease via the airducts due to the high transmission rate through airborne particles. They also use a type of fluorescent lamp to help kill the smaller particles to help prevent spreading of the disease to careworkers that have to enter the room and treat the patients.
    • superpixel, on 10/12/2007, -23/+4you all want him to have a tv huh? guess you've never had an extended hospital stay... listen gang, despite what your couch and the empty bag of Cheetos might say, there really isn't that much on...
    • donkeydrop, on 10/12/2007, -13/+35How is he not a criminal when he knowingly exposes people to a potentially fatal disease? There are quite a few people in jail for deliberately infecting others with AIDS, and this is more infectious and just as deadly.
    • Thorin001, on 10/12/2007, -7/+41"Is society morally right to sacrifice the life of an individual to protect others?"

      Sometimes the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
    • signal15, on 10/12/2007, -6/+71Your goddamn right they're ok to lock him up. How would you feel if someone knew they had this and ran around in your neighborhood and infected you. He had his chance under voluntary quarantine and he blew it.

      Now, taking away his computer, phone, and TV... that's *****. The guy wasn't charged with a crime. They locked him up so he wouldn't infect anyone else, not to punish him.
    • tyywebb, on 10/12/2007, -2/+26@hambend
      Wow he must be enduring some incredible atmospheres in that room of his!
    • halavais, on 10/12/2007, -5/+63@hambend already said it, but:

      "Daniels is housed in Station 41, a room where air flows only in, not out. "

      Over 8 months, the pressure in there has got to be building. What are they trying to do, unshell him?

    • junebug172, on 10/12/2007, -13/+9How about pondering the thought of your child getting TB because this irresponsible jerkoff couldn't figure out how to put a mask on his face. And yes, the needs of the many outway the needs of the few.
    • JonGalt, on 10/12/2007, -22/+8You people have to be retarded! They tried to let him have it the easy way, HE ***** that up. Drug resistant TB is absolutely scarey and absolutely a danger to anyone that he could come into contact with. Sorry hes screwed but the government has a right and an obligation to prevent him from spreading a disease which we have almost NO defence against.

      The better question would have been: "Is it moral to not protect the lives of 6 BILLION people by locking 1 guy up ONLY until hes cured of the disease that could kill every 80% of human life?" Answer: You ***** better believe it.

      For future reference: RUSSIA SUCKS. Dont go there. Problem solved.
    • xSEED, on 10/12/2007, -8/+3depends on the others

      if ya'll wanna be humane kill him. tb sucks
    • texpundit, on 10/12/2007, -36/+2Okay... I have not RTFA...but the ONLY reason anyone should be quarantined for life is if they are an aggressive HIV victim that makes it a point to spread the disease...

      which means they are no longer a victim...but a perpetrator.
    • texpundit, on 10/12/2007, -34/+1well... to be honest...ignoring my earlier comment...this sounds JUST like socialist Cuba... quarantine the diseased...

      to be honest...I have no problem quaranteening the sick and diseased. *shrugs*

      Sorry... if we're talking STDs... the majority did it to themselves....

      What? stop ***** everyting that moves? right.
    • texpundit, on 10/12/2007, -34/+2I will get dugg down just because no geek here can control their penis....OMG I MUST HUMP....no...you do not. If you're so lame that you CAN'T control yourself...hey...there's always throwing yourself in front of the Metro. Because if you can't control THAT much of your life, you're useless....so go kiss a train. Loser. :P
    • radu79, on 10/12/2007, -11/+1Hmm, wasn't the medical history supposed to be private?
      They should at least send him back to Russia, where his familly is, not lock him in a prison, without a tv, cellphone and computer.

      When are they going to lock people for having a cold or flu? Yes, it's a different order of magnitude, but this is a slippery slope..
    • taboam, on 10/12/2007, -6/+37Try reading the article before blaming him

      Daniels is a Russian-born 27-year-old with dual U.S. citizenship. During a hurried and rare phone conversation Tuesday, he admitted making a mistake eight months ago but said he did not understand the gravity of his disease at the time.

      "I don't want to confuse people if I wear a mask," Daniels said, describing his thoughts. "What if they think I'm a robber? What if I get shot?

      "Nobody talked to me about this thing. Nobody lectured me."

      Daniels said face covers are not worn by tuberculosis patients in his homeland, which ranks 12th on the World Health Organization's list of most infected nations.

      "In Moscow," he said, "when I went to clinics, even the doctors did not wear masks."

      Russia, with 26,000 TB deaths annually, has more than 80 cases per 100,000 population, compared with five per 100,000 in Arizona.

      Daniels said he has become depressed to the point of weeping.

      "They're making a criminal out of me," he added. "I've been crying almost every day. . . . I'm all alone. No showers. No sunlight. It's the silence that's pushing down on me. . . . It's the worst you can get, even if you murdered somebody."
    • ogden, on 10/12/2007, -1/+22TB is *scary* *****. This is not the flu. It is airborne, the only treatment is very strong antibiotics if you haven't caught a resistant strain and a certain percentage of people who get it never clear it from their body and become carriers. In the old days TB was called "consumption" because the disease appeared to consume your body from within. I couldn't find any data on mortality rates but I'm willing to wager they are scary.

      A normal healthy person would almost certainly live, but the young, old, and sick would di.

      Back in the late 90s I was in university and some 3rd worlder was found to have TB and *everyone* who might have ever been in a classroom with him or a class he was in had to be tested twice and submit the record of such to the county. Thousands of people. I didnt know any personally but some had to be put in an isolation ward and their enrollment suspended.

      Any person with TB literally represents a mortal danger to those around him and personal freedom can not trump that, society simply couldn't not function.
    • Tetranitrate, on 10/12/2007, -10/+4In Soviet Russia when I went to clinics, even the doctors did not wear masks.
    • 4UIDigg, on 10/12/2007, -4/+7According to http://www.superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/judicialbios/judicialList.asp?title=2, Commissioner's Randy Ellexson's phone number is 480-344-2006 Does not look like they evolved to have email yet
    • jtjdt, on 10/12/2007, -17/+18I was exposed to TB because of some A**hole like this. I think he's getting what he deserves. It's because of people like him and their lack of consideration, that I was exposed to such a thing like that. I should've never had to go through something like that. I don't visit other countries, or live in a strange place, I'm just a tech who lives a normal life in California.
    • LocalDocal, on 10/12/2007, -4/+23"Is society morally right to sacrifice the life of an individual to protect others? Makes you ponder some important utilitarian principals. Whether or not it's justified, they should at least give the poor bastard a TV."


      ....what in the ***** kind of question is this? I don't even understand how someone could possibly think this is some sort of deep, philosophical question. I understand utilitarianism and ask myself about it plenty of times, but there's no question about this; the choice is either allow him to walk freely and put others in danger of a serious disease or to strip him of some basic rights in order to ensure safety. To simplify, it's either one man or an entire group of people.

      I firmly believe that no one on this planet is so special that his life has an intrinsic value above that of his fellow man. No one has the natural right to put the life or health of his fellow man at risk, regardless of the situation and of the risk, without his explicit permission. It is the same case here. Of course, Robert Daniels should have the same natural rights as everyone else but the fact of the matter is that he has what is qualified as an extremely dangerous disease. It's a sad event, but he must be quarantined. There is nothing against him or his rights. If it were someone else and not him, then the court would quarantine that person for the safety of everyone, including him too.

      It's obvious that I'm feeling angry, but it's due to the fact that aside from the question, the post also received a lot of positive diggs. I just hate to imagine the actual situation if it were to occur. They let him wander free and he ends up infecting people. Of course, then these people continues wander free and they infect other people. Now this cycle continues until...I don't even want to imagine what.

      Anyway, if there is truly any question here, it is the question of whether the state is justified in stripping him of extracurricular activity. The need to interact with others and see the outside world is what probably produce an overwhelming urge in him to visit the outside, despite knowing the danger he presents. Perhaps the state should do something to rectify this poor judgment on their part? It might also help if they still let him live as a human. Christ, what is wrong with letting him bathe or perhaps sleep on a comfy bed without being watched by a camera?
    • radu79, on 10/12/2007, -5/+10@jtjdt
      I don't get it. He is an ***** because he has the same disease you had? Are you implying that he created the disease? Or that he willingly got infected with it?
      Do you think you should have been subjected to the same treatment?
    • wraithblayde, on 10/12/2007, -4/+20did anybody in this entire thread who thinks that treating this poor young man way is just stop to think that perhaps, since he is Russian, he geniunely might not have understood that he -needed- to wear the mask.

      In any event, they're treating the man like an animal, yes, quarantine the guy, but for god's sake let him have -some- social contact, the least he deserves is a tv an internet connection and a phone, he has a wife and kids, don't you think he should be able to talk to them? How would any of you feel if you were thrown into what is basically a prison cell because you caught a dissease and didn't understand part of the rules of your quarantine, he's a -human being- he deserves to be treated with respect and dignity, not thrown away as you would a piece of garbage. Anyone who thinks that this kind of thing is just (being treated like a crimal, not quarantine) deserves to be locked up themselves. You all go on about "The needs of the many outweighs the needs of the few", but did you think that that's exactly the same kind of ***** Hitler came out with when he went on about "The nefarious Jews trying to destroy our way of life". Protect the many, sure, but don't treat the few like vicious animals that doesn't have rights!
    • bebop717, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4And by TV you mean internet.
    • Detritus, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14I spent 2 months quarantined, also in a criminal medical ward because that was the only available area but they let me have a radio... You guys talking trash about him have no idea how bad it feels to be isolated from society. After about a month I was really getting unhinged because there is no way to know how long you're going to be there. At least convicts get to mark off the days and feel that hope that they are one day closer to their release date. I started crying myself to sleep every night.

      This is clearly a case of cultural misunderstanding. This twisted sense of outrage and indignation at his ignorance is terrifying to me.
    • RussellDovey, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Regarding the incredible pressure chamber room ("air flows only in, not out."):

      It's called underpressure. The air in this poor bastard's isolation room is constantly kept at a lower pressure than the outside, ensuring that when air inevitably leaks through small breaks in the containment, it never carries the airborne virus out of the room, since the airflow is always inwards.

      What happens to the air that is removed to maintain this constant underpressure, you ask? It is pumped through a HEPA filter to remove dangerous airborne particles before being released into the general atmosphere.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HEPA - fascinating info.

      From the wikipedia entry:

      "Typically, medical-use HEPA filtration systems also incorporate high-energy ultra-violet light units to kill off the live bacteria and viruses trapped by the filter media. Some of the best-rated HEPA units have an efficiency rating of 99.995%, which assures a very high level of protection against airborne disease transmission."
    • sergeantmudd, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4He should be quarantined, but this isn't the Hot Zone part 2. TB is very easy to be exposed to, but it's alot harder to actually develop the disease. It is the same as the vast majority of diseases, it primarily affects the young, the old, and the immunocompromised. He still should be quarantined, but he is not a walking biological weapon. And he probably could live at home if he was very careful and very responsible. However the story implies that he was neither.

    • Navicerts, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6A lot of you are rather harsh. Yes, he risked the lives of others, but he claims he didn't understand the dangers that were involved, and we have no reason not to believe that. he is not a criminal.

      This guys life should not be destroyed because someone is too lazy to hook him up with a house arrest bracelet or something. It's called compassion, clearly those who are responsible for his incarceration have none.
    • kb0x, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2"Is society morally right to sacrifice the life of an individual to protect others?"
      Yes... As long as they aren't sacrificing me.
    • Soniti, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Scottsdale Osborn- That's funny.. I used to work there..

      ~Soniti
    • Scrappy1850, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0he should get an HD. SD would be much much too cruel.
    • blimpmaster, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0"Is society morally right to sacrifice the life of an individual to protect others? Makes you ponder some important utilitarian principals. Whether or not it's justified, they should at least give the poor bastard a TV."

      What are we doing in Iraq?

      Over 3,000 lives have been "sacrificed" according to Senator McCain. For what reason?

      The guy must feel like he's at Gitmo...
    • cornswalled, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0@texpundit

      You're being dugg down because you're a moron, babbling about an article you haven't read, and too stupid an uninformed to realize that TB is NOT and STD.

      Read the article and you'll see what a moron you look like in your posts.
    • CarzorStelatis, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3You get worked up over one person being held without trial, because he was proved to have deliberately done something which could have killed thousands of people. Yet you say nothing about the hundreds of people in Guantanamo Bay who have had NOTHING proved against them, and are held in much worse conditions. Get some perspective.
    • Egoist, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Navicerts said, "It's called compassion, clearly those who are responsible for his incarceration have none."

      No, they have compassion. They have compassion for the people that he potentially infected. They have compassion for the young kids and the old folks who could've been killed by this guy's irresponsibility just because they wanted to get a burger at a fast food joint.

      Why do you have more compassion for criminals than you do for the people they harm?
    • elenadragon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Why can't they give him a TV, computer, books, etc? Even criminals get to watch TV. In isolation, being able to watch TV and use the internet would make a huge difference in his living condition by making him feel less isolated.
    • Derrekito, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Would it just be more appropriate to just shoot him?
  • sinurgy, on 10/12/2007, -11/+96Jack McIntyre, a sheriff's spokesman, said sympathetic nurses gave Daniels a computer, a phone and other items for a time, but those were confiscated for security reasons. "While he's there, we treat him as an incarcerated individual"


    This guy has done nothing wrong and he's being treated like a common criminal! I understand the precarious situation but taking away his computer, phone, etc. is going way overboard. There is plenty of room for moderation here. This guy may never see the light of day again, giving him a computer with internet access and a phone is the absolute LEAST they can do.
    • skwurl, on 10/12/2007, -15/+93Actually, if you read the article, he did do something wrong. He disobeyed his quarantine and decided to take a stroll out in public. I'm not sure if you know much about TB, but a it's insanely contagious and extremely dangerous - there's also no cure.

      He's there for a reason...but he should at least get a T.V.
    • teadrinker, on 10/12/2007, -5/+33@skwurl:
      It is a bacteria, so antibiotics are a cure. But on this disease they work slowly, and in this case the strain is also resistant to antibiotics.

      Plus I do not think there is malice involved. The courts have been holding hearings to try to figure out what rights he has. It is a difficult situation, but people are trying to think of ways to fix it. It is not easy.

      But I do agree: give him a TV, or internet (he can become a digger), and enough antibiotics to kill an elephant (if the elephant was made from bacteria), and hope for the best.
    • Renork, on 10/12/2007, -3/+36@ skwurl

      "But Robert Daniels is not charged with any crime. He has tuberculosis. And he is under court-ordered confinement because he violated the rules of voluntary quarantine, exposing others to a potentially deadly illness."

      Not charged with any crime + only violating a **voluntary** quarantine mean that tho his actions were irresponsible/stupid/wrong does not mean he should be treated "as an incarcerated individual" and subjected to what could be considered psychological torture.

      He should at the very least be given a TV with a decent selection of channels so he can keep up with world/local events and a phone for contact with family and friends + lawyer. Also it wouldn't be too much trouble to give him a computer. There has to be some kind of outlet in the room, give him a laptop and set up a wireless router right outside the room.

      He without a doubt needs to be isolated, possibly indefinably. There is no reason to treat him like an animal and give him less rights and privileges than convicted rapist/murders get.
    • hackwrench, on 10/12/2007, -3/+27>does not mean he should be treated "as an incarcerated individual"
      The mentality of the officers seems worse than that...
      >"While he's there, we treat him as an incarcerated individual," McIntyre said. "It's a jail ward."
      That makes about as much sense as treating all the medical personnel on the ward as an incarcerate individual because it's a jail ward.
    • omatsei, on 10/12/2007, -17/+2"He without a doubt needs to be isolated, possibly indefinably. There is no reason to treat him like an animal and give him less rights and privileges than convicted rapist/murders get."

      But a convicted rapist and murderer only ruined 1 life (that feels insensitive to say). This guy, by his willfull (or negligent) actions put dozens, if not hundreds or even thousands of lives at risk. What would you tell a 13 year old girl who's going to die from TB in 3 months? "Oh sorry we couldn't spare you this fate, but the guy that coughed 400 yards away from you didn't technically break any laws"?
    • detlev409, on 10/12/2007, -1/+22skwurl

      "there's also no cure."

      I have a buddy who caught the disease in India, though his strain was dormant. Six months of pills later and he has a clean bill of health.

      Oh, and put me down for a vote to give the poor bastard a TV.
    • earthtoandy, on 10/12/2007, -4/+22"Actually, if you read the article, he did do something wrong. He disobeyed his quarantine and decided to take a stroll out in public. I'm not sure if you know much about TB, but a it's insanely contagious and extremely dangerous - there's also no cure."

      Actually, you generally must have prolonged contact with an infected person. And among those that have prolonged contact the transmission rate is 22%. And on average someone with active TB infects 10-15 people a year. Not exactly 'insanely contagious'

      And it is curable through antibiotics while some cases, like this kid, have drug resistant strains. Not uncurable. Its much more expensive and much longer. This case could be individually worse.

      from Wikipedia.
    • Jahz, on 10/12/2007, -5/+7@renork

      you said: "...only violating a **voluntary** quarantine..."

      You do understand that the meaning of the word "voluntary" here is that it was up to him to remain quarantined form the public. It does NOT in any way mean that he had a choice of whether or not he was to be quarantined. Essentially the court ordered him to remain quarantined under his own supervision, without active enforcement.

      The word "voluntary" is also used this way in the United States Tax Code. The courts have defended that meaning time and again. (for example, filing taxes is voluntary, as in you can do it for yourself. However filing is not a choice)

      So you see, he did in fact violate a court order, and is subject to the repercussions. Though, I really disagree with him being treated the same as a murder. TB can't be transmitted through telephone lines or a computer. Give the guy whatever he needs to feel comfortable as long as quarantine is maintained...
    • Software2, on 10/12/2007, -10/+4"from Wikipedia."

      Looking up information on the history of the stay-puff marshmellow man is one thing, but NEVER go to wikipedia for medical information.
    • mitrovarr, on 10/12/2007, -2/+16The decision not to let this guy have any amenities sounds like the kind of decision made by a mindless bureaucrat - the kind of person willing to make someone suffer just to follow policy.
    • RussellDovey, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2@skwurl: Has he been charged with a crime? No? Well then, why treat him any worse than any other patient in quarantine? How is depriving him of entertainment going to hurt anyone? It's just petty power-trip ***** by prison guards who are used to thinking of those in the hospital ward as undeserving of everyday rights.
  • martinherrera, on 10/12/2007, -3/+12def needs a window and some sunlight and maybe some spanktervision.
  • TheProtested, on 10/12/2007, -20/+6they should quarantine him a lady friend so hes not lonely :]

    or atleast give the guy some good porn!
  • Onwlyix, on 10/12/2007, -5/+8That's crazy. I just don't know what to say to that...
  • kilahri, on 10/12/2007, -15/+5The unfairly incarcerated does go on to point out that in Russia, the country where he was born and where he maintains citizenship, a less strict enforcement policy on TB exists. In my opinion, if the officials of the United States [in which this gentleman ALSO has citizenship] treat him so unjustly, the officials from his other home nation should get involved in some way, especially since there is no actual crime. In America, it's not illegal to make an admittedly stupid decision, even if that decision potentially puts other citizens at risk. Or am I missing the point?

    I suppose what really gets to me is that he has no influx of information with which to pass his time. I would go mad.
    • hackwrench, on 10/12/2007, -5/+8>In America, it's not illegal to make an admittedly stupid decision, even if that decision potentially puts other citizens at risk.

      Oh but they're trying to make every admittedly stupid decision that potentially puts other citizens at risk illegal, they're trying... They're even trying to make every admittedly stupid decision that doesn't put other citizens at risk illegal.
    • vuke69, on 10/12/2007, -4/+21"In America, it's not illegal to make an admittedly stupid decision, even if that decision potentially puts other citizens at risk."

      O'RLY? Try driving while intoxicated, and then explain to the cop that you did nothing wrong.
    • insomuchas, on 10/12/2007, -5/+12Actually some states have laws against that. Wreckless endangerment.
    • deuceswilde, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9"In America, it's not illegal to make an admittedly stupid decision, even if that decision potentially puts other citizens at risk."

      Yes it is. The law is generally neutral towards doing stupid things to yourself of your own free will but it's not and never was legal to do stupid ***** that endangers others. Why would it be, endangering other people is a crime whether or not anything happened, and while I think this is harsh and bizarre there's a lot more to this story than detaining an American citizen for no reason. He needs to be quarantined, however it should be done in a more civil way then it is now.
    • kilahri, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5I should have phrased that a little differently. Reckless endangerment is definitely a part of law, here in the US, but I'll ask this, instead: Is it considered reckless endangerment if the subject simply doesn't know how bad his case was? At what level does the "mandatory" factor into "voluntary confinement?"

      @vuke69: Totally ruining my point, If you don't know how drunk you are... you still get in trouble, don't you? Good call.

      Still feel pretty bad for the poor bastard. >
    • Hubris, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8Chances that Russia are going to stick their neck out to have a ticking time bomb that could wipe out their society returned when at present he is safely incarcerated? Slim.

      No disagreement that a lack of tv and privileges afforded others incarcerated is extreme....
  • nuromantic, on 10/12/2007, -19/+1sorta strange...

    "Russia, with 26,000 TB deaths annually, has more than 80 cases per 100,000 population, compared with five per 100,000 in Arizona."

    that fact seems a bit skewed comparison wise...Russia most definitely has thousands upon thousands more people than Arizona
    • vuke69, on 10/12/2007, -0/+31"that fact seems a bit skewed comparison wise...Russia most definitely has thousands upon thousands more people than Arizona"

      You don't understand what the word "per" means do you?
    • calacak, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11How so? It's statistics.

      Doesn't matter how large Russia vs Arizona is, the fact is that there are 8x more people effected for every 100k people in Russia. While it's odd that they don't compare Russia vs the USA, but it doesn't make the statistic invalid.
    • nuromantic, on 10/12/2007, -5/+5ah you're right you're right, sleep depravity not letting me think straight

      i suppose i was trying to say what calacak said
    • devindotcom, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9*deprivation...
  • wombatcombat74, on 10/12/2007, -2/+17The guy just didn't know the gravity of his disease. He said specifically that he didn't know how serious his TB was. I'm sure there are much more humane to treat him.
    • omatsei, on 10/12/2007, -10/+4Ignorance is no excuse. Tell that to a little kid who's looking death in the face because this guy wasn't paying attention when the doctor said "stay the ***** home".
  • edebolt, on 10/12/2007, -8/+0let him go back to Russia. Maybe the Russians can kick in some of their petrodollars and get him a charter flight which will not endanger anybody. Lots of different perspectives on this one. Can you imagine the lawsuit if this guy is allowed to infect anybody in the Arizona. Ouch.
  • rwallen, on 10/12/2007, -14/+3Keep him locked up I don't want that crap.
    • TopherT, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14If callousness were infectious I'd want you locked up.
  • gotamd, on 10/12/2007, -2/+29The article says that air flows in, but not out. I would think they would realize that this is impossible (well, it's possible for a while but it would kill the guy from the building pressure).
    • foolfromhell, on 10/12/2007, -0/+22Most likely CO2 scrubbers...
      Or the author is damn stupid.
    • gotamd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12I'm going with both. Who knows how they're filtering the air: particulate filters combined with UV lamps...I wouldn't know. But I think it's certain that the person who wrote the article either isn't very smart or was having a major brain fart when he wrote that.
    • bennybertow, on 10/12/2007, -0/+13You guys don't understand the problem here. The air flows only in and not out...

      In a few years we won't have any more air on the outside, and he will be the only one being able to survive!
    • MikeWeller, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I think what they mean is negative air pressure.

      edit: beaten by johnkalel, see below
    • RussellDovey, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Regarding the incredible pressure chamber room ("air flows only in, not out."):

      It's called underpressure. The air in this poor bastard's isolation room is constantly kept at a lower pressure than the outside, ensuring that when air inevitably leaks through small breaks in the containment, it never carries the airborne virus out of the room, since the airflow is always inwards.

      What happens to the air that is removed to maintain this constant underpressure, you ask? It is pumped through a HEPA filter to remove dangerous airborne particles before being released into the general atmosphere.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HEPA - fascinating info.

      From the wikipedia entry:

      "Typically, medical-use HEPA filtration systems also incorporate high-energy ultra-violet light units to kill off the live bacteria and viruses trapped by the filter media. Some of the best-rated HEPA units have an efficiency rating of 99.995%, which assures a very high level of protection against airborne disease transmission."
  • CyberDrow, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7This seems like a violation of humane treatment standards in the country. I hope this gets sorted out soon. I'd go insane if I was held in solitary detention for eight months like that.
    • Urusai, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Humane treatment standards? You mean like in Gitmo? Some of those people don't even have TB!
  • Nesca, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10"While he's there, we treat him as an incarcerated individual," McIntyre said. "It's a jail ward."


    that's the worst part, he wasn't charged with a crime, he didn't comply with voluntarily quarantine.

    doesn't make it very voluntarily.
    • omatsei, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11Technically, the United States has a "voluntary" tax system... just try not paying any sometime. Being voluntary doesn't really mean "optional", like it's supposed to... it's more like, "strong encouraged, possibly forced if we feel like it".
    • Jahz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Actually I think it means that you are responsible for following the policy on your own. But what you said is true. To many people misunderstand the word when used in a legal context.
    • MasterChi, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Yea and people with AIDS/HIV also have a voluntary quarantine to not have unprotected sex anymore but when they do have unprotected sex we throw them in jail for maliciously spreading it. TB is bad as well and we don't want that spreading around so he had his quarantine warning and still risked the lives of thousand (even if it was a few stores it still could have spread quickly) so as unfair as this may seem he deserves this. I know i will get dugg to hell but it's the truth.

      Though he should get a TV and a computer, prisoners atleast get cable and a radio so why not him? Its not like he will give TB through the internet.
  • Crossmenjeff, on 10/12/2007, -6/+5if you knowingly had AIDS and deliberately put others at risk without telling them, you would be just as guilty, no? He violated court orders and exposed the public to TB. He didn't care about any of your lives or health, it's funny that you would fight so hard for us to care (for the second time) about his health and life.
  • TjChubbs, on 10/12/2007, -4/+6The poster of this did not present a clear title or description. He made it clearly sound like a random us citizen got grabbed off the street, and imprisoned for life for nothing.
    He is a us citizen, due to his father apparently, but he is a danger to society without his mask and treatment, requirements which he violated. I'm not saying lock him up for life, but he needs to be isolated until he is no longer a danger to society, and until he is fully aware of how to act in public in our country when he has such a disease.
    But yes, give the guy a TV, we don't need to incarcerate the man, just isolate him.
  • mr_cheese28, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6Just remember what Mr. Spock said "the good of the many outweighs the need of the few, or the one".
    • omatsei, on 10/12/2007, -4/+7The phrase is: "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one."
    • sathias, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I believe he said that in reference to himself as well, not as a means of justifying his treatment of others.
    • yndy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6errr... that would be one of the fundamental premises of Utilitarianism... which predates Star Trek by quite some time...
  • sherwinn, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12Why can he not have a TV, computer, phone? That's ridiculous.
  • m1ss1ontomars, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4although quarantine is absolutely necessary to prevent the spread of drug-resistant genes (which, for those of you who don't know, can be easily transmitted from TB bacteria to any other bacteria), that doesn't mean he can't have a tv and other fun stuff. security my foot.
  • jvieramobile, on 10/12/2007, -16/+3Are you people serious? Your defending him? He has an EXTREMELY CATCHY, EXTREMELY EASILY SPREAD( AIRBORNE!!!!) ILLNESS that in his stupidity, exposed to the PUBLIC! I'm surprised they even let him out in public in the first place, and then where he could have possibly caused a PANDEMIC disease to spread, you guys defend him saying we are taking his rights away? Well, to not isolate him would be murder to potentially 300 million people. Thats a MUCH better idea, lets spread an incurable medical illness and give the guy a SECOND chance to screw up. Have you guys ever herd of the Spanish Influenza? Look it up. And before you ask, yes, If I had a disease that was potentially spread by air that was not treatable and DEADLY, then I would WILLINGLY submit myself to isolation to this degree, especially if I already endangered those millions of people. Give him a TV, yes, give him rights? no.
    • adc86, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7Whooaaa... Deep breaths... Check your facts

      ...And after that, thennn post.
    • Margh, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Check your facts and then check your moral grounds please, he's a man with an illness, not pestilence on a horse spreading death in his wake.
  • heiroglyph, on 10/12/2007, -6/+6"If this is the case, the patient must be detained in isolation until death or patient's own immune system contains it (50% chance of either possibility)."

    There is a 50% chance of immortality?
    • kefler, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15As the pressure in the room increases, due to the design (air only flows in) the patient has a 50% chance of dying. If he does not die, then the TB cells in his blood will compress and combine with other minerals and he will become immortal. At that point he becomes 'Atmosphere Man'.
    • ray901, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1....
  • rAid135, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Man why would you want to go out like that? I'd just ask to go skydiving without a parachute over the beautiful Caribbean sea.
  • FormerEnigma, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6This is a very serious situation. XDR tuberculosis is quite deadly and no effective cure exists for it. Unlike HIV, if you are merely in the presence of someone with tuberculosis, you can catch it. It can be a death sentence if no cure is found (which is quite possible). He is in an negative air pressure room. The only exit for the air is through a special sterilizing filter unit, that way germ-laden air cannot accidentally leak out. It is a very sad situation, but he made himself a public hazard by disobeying quarantine orders. If he did not know how serious it was, he should have asked or sought out some answers - to be passive about one's health is not very smart. FWIW, I am a medical doctor and I am more scared of this than of HIV
  • tehbored, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5What. The. *****! These guys have got to be the biggest assholes ever (after Dick Cheney :P)! Now, I understand that he needs to be isolated, but why the bloody ***** can't they give him a TV?! I bet those ***** retards think TB can be spread electronically or some *****!
    • gotamd, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10He might send it over the internet if they gave him a computer. You know those computer viruses nowadays...

      (yes, I know it's bacterial)
    • jackhole, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5The bacteria might clog the tubes.
  • twatwaffle, on 10/12/2007, -9/+1[old]
  • Contico, on 10/12/2007, -4/+12I have to question precisely how bad his living conditions really are. They make it sound like he's locked in an empty room with little to no interaction with other humans. Yet he's able to have a chat with a couple of news reporters? Obviously someone has to be giving him drugs and checking his condition on a daily basis, not to mention feeding him.

    I'm not saying that there aren't things they could do to improve his living conditions, but I have a feeling the article was "spiced up" a bit.
  • gouldbr1, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Personally, I have no problem with him being in mandatory quarantine because of the danger he presents to the general public; however, I think it is completely unconstitutional and inhumane to deny him basic legal rights (i.e. being present at the mentioned meetings, etc.) and simple human interaction by proxy. It is one thing to quarantine someone, but it is another to put him in complete isolation, which will most likely have lasting psychological effects. It was a huge mistake on his part for going out in public - especially unprotected - but there is no justification for detaining him without basic amenities, such as communication devices to speak with his family or even books.
  • mssaturdaynight, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1Who is going to pay for the TV, the porn, the laptop and the wifi?
    I also feel for the guy and I know I'd be miserable in that situation, and I do think that some sort of humanitarian intervention could greatly improve his situation so he's not so much a "prisoner" per se...

    But do these circumstances make him a ward of the state, or what?
  • GreyICE, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Obviously he needs to remain in the confinment. While its understandable why he violated the quarentine (come on, never see another human being for the rest of your life is pure suck) but he needs to be in there. But no phone? No computer? No TV?!? I've seen pictures of the prison where they keep the dangerous people (you know, the Unabomber, the 9/11 terrorists they captured, etc.) and they got a TV. This person was guilty of going a little crazy from solitary confinement (which is, well, expected). Let him play WOW all day or something, at least.
  • johnkalel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8"...Station 41, a room where air flows only in, not out."

    What the writer meant to say was that the ward has negative air pressure. From http://healthandenergy.com/hospital_air_pressure.htm :

    "Controlling air pressure in patient's rooms is essential to comply with standards from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

    Patients suspected of having airborne diseases should be placed in rooms whose air pressure is lower than the hallway's air pressure."

    I remember an early version of this back in the 70's when I worked at Shands Teaching Hospital in Gainesville FL.
    • Dumbledorito, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2HE'S TAKING THE WORLD'S AIR SUPPLY!

      WE'LL NEVER HEAR "MAKING LOVE OUT OF NOTHING AT ALL AGAIN!"
  • >mark, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3All they need to do is give this guy a computer with internet, and a copy of WoW and he will be happy
    • Dumbledorito, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I dunno. Remember the "blood plague" problem they had?
  • TorrentFox, on 10/12/2007, -7/+1That title is misleading. The article says (dramatically) that he may stay there his entire life. Extremely unlikely that that would ever happen.

    Do you honestly think that the rights of one man with an incredibly potent disease outweigh the responsibility of the state to protect its citizens from infection?
  • jsac, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12 cases of it here in Pennsylvania............
    http://www.wnep.com/Global/story.asp?S=6163832
  • NoTiG, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2"Daniels is housed in Station 41, a room where air flows only in, not out." anyone else see a problem with this statement?
    • vuke69, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4sssssssssssssssssssssssPOP

      Don't worry, I think the situation fixed itself.
  • Attilitus, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8Why can he not be given basic comforts?
    WHY THE HELL NOT!
    Convicts sitting on death row receive television sets. Convicts in prison get Internet access.

    This guy did something wrong out of ignorance (AND IGNORANCE IS A VALID EXCUSE!!!!)

    He has proven that he cannot voluntarily quarantine himself, so he needs to be confined. But he should get a television, a phone, and possibly internet access (although I suspect they would like to avoid a situation whereby he creates a controversial blog, ect.).

    I cannot believe people are actually arguing that "Ignorance is no excuse" and that he should be treated as if he went out of his home for the sole purpose of trying to infect and kill millions of people.
    • Fragalishus, on 10/12/2007, -7/+1Had he complied with the voluntary quarantine, he would have led a full life with all the amenities you just described, and more.
  • HUKI365, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Thank God for no Russia reversals...
    • 10scott10, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4someone had to do it
      in soviet russia, tuberculosis quarantine you. no wait
  • bdiggi8768, on 10/12/2007, -7/+0Yawwn. Let's timetravel back to when this was relevant.
    • Attilitus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Mar. 1, 2007 12:00 AM

      He is still imprisoned. I am sure the issue is still relevant to HIM.
  • bdiggi8768, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1do'h - wrong article. Strike my previous comment from the record.
  • bobcrotch, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2An airborne disease that could infect anyone who is around him? Well yeah he should be quarantined. The only reason why he's being held as a criminal is because he left his self admitted quarantine. Do you really think that he should be allowed to roam around the streets infecting other people? Just because he's sick and an American gives him the right to spread a disease and take other lives?

    Why no, no it doesn't give him that right. I'm sorry that he has the disease.
    • samssf, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Yeah, it sounds like it was pretty freakin stupid of him to go out and disobey orders. People are dumb and like to ignore doctors and ignore facts about disease, etc. Basically if they can't see it... it's not real.

      However that doesn't mean they should treat him like a criminal. Holy *****, give him a TV and some video games or something. They took his TV away "for security reasons". Security reasons? WTF?
  • slowspin, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4In Mother Russia, you infect TB !!
  • whataboutb0b, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2"Actually, you generally must have prolonged contact with an infected person. And among those that have prolonged contact the transmission rate is 22%. And on average someone with active TB infects 10-15 people a year. Not exactly 'insanely contagious'

    And it is curable through antibiotics while some cases, like this kid, have drug resistant strains. Not uncurable. Its much more expensive and much longer. This case could be individually worse.

    from Wikipedia."

    What you are quoting is if a person has what is called "latent TB" where the symptoms are not expressed, however the person has a colonization of bacteria (typically Mycobacterium tuberculosis) usually in the upper lobe of the lungs. Overt and active TB is highly, highly contagious and especially if it is a drug resistant strain such as this. The death rates are astoundingly high (around 30-50%) and usually affects immunocompromised persons such as small children, the elderly, and people w/ weak immune systems such as recent transplant patients or hospital patients. The reason that it is not that common here is because of the special precautions the US health system has gone to nearly eradicate this disease from lifelong domestic US citizens. The problem is almost 1/3 of the world outside of the US will test positive if they take a TB skin test, which means that immigrants, especially from Asian or Arabic descent, will often carry a strain of TB when they enter the US which promotes transmission of the disease.

    Oh btw, wikipedia is pretty good for getting a broad overview, just please never quote it
  • Jgsublime, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3No shower?! He must smell like a medieval peasant.
  • acedeuce12, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8This is the work of, or at least the responsibility of Sheriff Joe Arpaio, "America's Toughest Sheriff." He's the guy who delights in treating people awaiting trial as scum. He's a sadistic bastard who deserves the treatment he so cheerfully doles out.
    • elebrio, on 10/12/2007, -7/+1I couldn't agree more about Arpaio... but this guy deserves what he got. Would you feel the same way about an HIV patient who intentionally put others at risk?
    • mitrovarr, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5It's one thing to keep him in forced quarantine (which I can agree with if the medical danger is dire enough) but he's being treated like some sort of horrible criminal. It may be necessary to isolate him from the outside world, but he deserves supervised time outdoors, and all the amenities he can equip his quarantine chamber with (a shower, exercise equipment, a tv, a computer, an internet connection, and a phone, as a bare minimum.)

      Oh, and I agree about the sheriff - he's a pathetic sadist who gets off on tormenting those he has power over, and he's a hideous embarrassment to the citizens of Arizona, since they allow him authority and revel in his sadism. You know that quote, about how a society can be judged by how it treats its prisoners? The society that put him in power is looking pretty disgusting.
    • aliendave, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Arpaio probably thinks you can send TB through the intartubes.
    • tehbmwman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The quote refers to how society treats its poor, not its criminals.
  • celerityfm, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Quarantine yes. But no tv/computer/phone for "security reasons" ??? WTF.
  • expatriot, on 10/12/2007, -4/+0Ah, the wonderful benefits of a "medical" society. This article proves you primates are truly civilized and technologically advanced, but what do I know? I'm just a conspiracy theorist.


    :puts tinfoil hat back on:
  • broomett, on 10/12/2007, -7/+4WHY Digg? Why are you digging an article with a needless lie on the front page. MAY be there for his enire life is not US Citizen Quarantined For Life.

    If assholes like AZinferno keep geting to the front page despite their *****, they will keep it up. Do you not realize why the front page of Digg has gotten steadily worse over the past couple months, and why the sites traffic has dropped so much? If is becuase of ***** headlines like this.
  • brodie7838, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2I can understand making sure he does not infect the population by locking him up, but it does not make any sense why he cannot have TV, computer, phone, etc.... Also, not having updates, and actually having an armed guard? Seems a bit odd.... makes you wonder if there is more going on than meets the eye.FHR
    • broomett, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Like what? I'd love to hear what that tin foil covered brain thinks could be going on.
  • broomett, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Based on this paragraph, it looks liek there is good news. He apparently only has a 50% changce of ever dying...

    "There is certainly a high likelihood that the patient has developed additional drug resistant (sic) that may make cure impossible," the assessment said. "If this is the case, the patient must be detained in isolation until death or patient's own immune system contains it (50% chance of either possibility)."
  • davids1, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1FTA: "Lab tests revealed that he suffered from "extreme multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis," records show."

    Hilariously redundant hilariously unlucky.

  • slupa08, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2Would you sit next to this guy on the subway?...I know I wouldn't. Having cared for several patients even suspected of having TB, I can tell you that the disease is taken very seriously and transmission of the bacteria is quite easy. The fact that his strain has developed multiple drug resistances only emphasizes the fact that this strain has been transmitted, treated unsuccessfully several times, and then transmitted again and again (hence the highly contagious nature). Any person contracting TB from him would have the same resistant strain and it is untreatable with current antibiotic therapies. Our government has the right to protect people from harm, and he is identified as a harm to the public. It is lonely being isolated, but his isolation is better than an epidemic. And how do we know he even wants a TV and the internet? What happened to a good book? Also, he wasn't ignorant to the fact that he had to wear the mask. He was more concerned of what people would think of him. He knew that he was required to wear the mask, he simply chose not to wear it and stopped taking his meds. One last point, I don't know how many of Digg's readers have been exposed to the medical system, but it is not cheap to care for an inpatient for that amount of time. An indigent man, probably without insurance is not going to get the "Four Seasons" experience at a county hospital. As sad as this fact is, it is our health care system.

    PS. I think the article described the ventilation incorrectly. Most isolation rooms create a negative pressure in the room and the air from that room is filtered and on a separate system than the rest of the facility. They aren't creating a hyperbaric chamber or anything :)
  • superal1394, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1Violating quarantine IS a crime, and IS punishable by law.
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