DIscussion

In the event of a Chemical Terrorism or Biological Terrorism event, such as bubonic plague, a level 1 laboratory can identify if a patient has been infected within 36 hours. During that time, hospital staff, family and other patients have been exposed to that patient providing the potential for a more extensive spread of the illness.

• If a hospital administrator believes a patient has been infected, should those who came in contact with the affected patient (in addition to the patient), be placed in a quarantined or isolated area within the hospital until there is definitive confirmation from the Level 1 lab to protect the community? Why or why not?
• If a hospital is already operating at surge capacity, is the hospital still responsible? What type of security measures should be instituted?
• If you were a newly hired hospital administrator, how would you determine if there were enough pharmaceutical supplies to address the needs of the patients, if in fact the patient was infected with this disease (as there could be over a hundred patients who would also need treatment)?
• What are the quarantine laws and regulations in the state where you live? Are these different from the CDC’s Federal Quarantine Laws and Regulation. Describe how they are similar or different. Note: if one of your classmates has already posted on the state you live in, please select a different state to research.

Please create a persuasive argument to address these questions. Support your argument with facts from your text and additional sources.