Quarantine Persuasive Essay

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Ever since the advent of diseases, quarantine has been used to restrain the spreading of a disease by isolating the carrier of the disease. The method is effective in stopping epidemics from occurring. However, many debates have arose regarding the circumstances under which a person should be placed in quarantine. Some people state that a person should be placed in quarantine if they have the slightest chance of being infected because the risk of starting an epidemic is too great. On the other hand, others state that a person should not be placed in quarantine until they show symptoms of the disease they are suspected of carrying. Although putting all potential carriers in quarantine may seem excessive and be an encroachment on the person’s …show more content…

The benefits of quarantine are overwhelming. It has saved countless human lives and prevented the suffering of countless individuals. Many people have acknowledged the necessity of quarantine. People who have the chance of being infected realize that this civic duty calls them to sacrifice their freedom of movement for the well-being of the public (Source D). The temporary sacrifice of a handful of people is justified when compared to the potential deaths of hundreds of people if the disease manages to spread. Therefore, when the magnitudes of the benefits and negatives of quarantine are compared, quarantine is the most logical and safe action to take. Quarantine also enables doctors and other officials to focus on the potential carriers of the disease while alleviating the community's fear of the spread of the potent disease (Source B). As a result, quarantine is able to knock out two birds with one stone. It allows doctors to isolate and focus on the infected, and it also allows public officials to maintain order in the community. The benefits of quarantine can be seen in the case of rabies in wild animals. The quarantine of potential carriers of rabies prevents the spread of the disease, and it also gives doctors a chance to examine and treat potential victims of the disease (Source E). Therefore, quarantine is able to save lives, prevent the spread of diseases, and maintain social integrity. The benefits of …show more content…

They state that quarantine is an encroachment on the rights of the person who does not show symptoms but is still placed in quarantine (Source C). Putting people in quarantine without empirical evidence violates the freedom of movement of the victim and creates greater stigma for the disease, resulting in public chaos. In the eyes of the critics, by putting a person in quarantine solely based off of suspicion, officials are destroying the lives of the victims and inviting chaos into the community. The critics also bring attention to the Siracusa principles which are designed to establish circumstances under which freedoms can be restricted (Source D). Putting people in quarantine without ferring to the Siracusa principles is a violation of the law and the moral codes that govern society. Therefore, critics claim that quarantine should be the final measure taken in desperation rather than the first action taken in confidence. The placement of people in quarantine without justification calls attention to the reasoning behind quarantine as well. Certain critics claim that officials resort to quarantine to merely stop the spread of confusion (Source F). Rather than using it to stop the spread of diseases, officials are abusing the civil rights of citizens by placing them in quarantine solely to maintain social order. Although the statements of these critics

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