The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated guidelines for states monitoring individuals returning from countries infected with the Ebola virus.
"New guidelines being posted today increase the level of protection of the health and safety of Americans while at the same time protecting those who are doing the heroic work of protecting us from Ebola as they fight it on the shores of Africa," CDC director Thomas R. Frieden said in a conference call last night.
Previously CDC's Ebola guidelines encouraged the screening of incoming travelers from West Africa and monitoring them for three weeks after their arrival, since it takes up to 21 days for the virus to interval from the preliminary infection to the onset of symptoms, reports The Associated Press.
The updated guidelines treats people who had different levels of exposure to the virus differently.
CDC breaks those who are at risk of contracting Ebola into four categories in their guidelines: "asymptomatic with highest risk," "asymptomatic with some risk," "asymptomatic with low but not zero risk" and "symptomatic with high, some, or low, but not zero risk."
Travelers in the "asymptomatic with highest risk" category are recommended to have their commercial travel and attendance at public gatherings limited. They should also be monitored for 21 days.
Those with "asymptomatic with some risk" (for example someone who lived under the same roof as an Ebola patient but never made direct contact with them) should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis depending on how they were exposed and be monitored for 21 days.
For people who fall into the "asymptomatic with low but not zero risk" category CDC recommends individuals to be monitored for 21 days, although they are not required to be separated from others.
Lastly, those who fall under the "symptomatic with high, some or low, but not zero" category should go under a medical evaluation. Those who were at high risk should refrain from travel. Those who were at a low (but not zero) risk should only refrain from travel if they are going to put others at a health risk. All individuals in this group - even if they are diagnosed with something besides Ebola upon evaluation - should be monitored for 21 days.
The new guidelines come days after nurse Kaci Hickox was quarantined as soon as she arrived in Newark Liberty International Airport after working in Sierra Leone. Her quarantine was controversial because she had no symptoms and tested negative for the virus.
