90-Second Read: US curbs on travelers exposed to deadly viruses may infringe rights and deter volunteers

The latest restrictions highlight officials' previous rhetoric on public health measures and their attempts to contain outbreaks now, including reported opposition from the White House to Americans returning home. The move follows mandatory quarantine measures in Nebraska for passengers from the MV Hondius who were exposed to Andes virus, a type of Hantavirus, despite requests from some of the passengers to quarantine at home. When asked if this policy would deter volunteers, Pillai pointed to existing organizations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda that "have been integral in providing healthcare support" already. The unofficial policy could substantially dampen the response from volunteers to the region providing critical assistance, she said.

When passengers on the Hantavirus-stricken cruise ship were flown back to the US, officials first ruled out the idea of mandating quarantine. Another passenger, a 30-year-old man, said he would like to quarantine in New York state. There is a previous case for comparison, and it goes back to the Ebola outbreak of 2014. The American Ebola patient is now hospitalized in Germany in stable condition, while the other US citizens were on their way to Germany or Czechia, Satish Pillai, the Ebola response lead at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told journalists on Wednesday.

People who volunteer to help in Ebola outbreaks "must suffer the consequences", he said in August 2014. Bhattacharya rose to prominence by pushing back against public health measures, which he loosely terms "lockdowns", in the Covid pandemic. Any public health measure that is imposed has to be based on reasonable scientific evidence or principles, and has to be proportionate and necessary to achieve the public health outcome. The guiding concept in global health law is implementing "the least restrictive measure necessary to achieve the public health outcome", she added.

Angela Perryman, a 47-year-old woman who had conversations with a passenger who later died from the Andes virus, told the New York Times that she had tested negative and had no symptoms, and would like to quarantine in an AirBnb in south Florida. If a measure is more restrictive than necessary, then it is infringing on personal rights. There is a very real likelihood that this outbreak may get much more serious, and the need for international support is going to be quite significant.