A Washington woman who was reportedly opposed to receiving tuberculosis treatment was forced by a court to be drugged and quarantined against her will.
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Since being diagnosed with a bacterial infection, the unidentified woman from Tacoma has refused to take medication or be quarantined. After failing to convince her to quarantine, public officials filed a court order. According to court documents, they requested the order after she refused to comply with treatment options and cooperate with testing recommended by medical providers. ‘This is less restrictive than a detention facility; however if such measures are not effective, more stringent measures may be requested,’ officials said.
As reported by the Daily Mail, state law allows the courts to intervene when someone refuses medical treatment, posing a risk to public health. Furthermore, tuberculosis cases have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Treatment for the disease requires a three to nine-month course of antibiotics isoniazid and rifampicin. Depending on the infection’s severity, treatment can be done daily or weekly. ‘Most people we contact are happy to get the treatment they need. Occasionally people refuse treatment and isolation. When that happens, we take steps to help keep the community safe,’ said health official Nigel Turner.
The woman was injured in a car accident earlier this year and did not tell doctors about her condition until x-rays were taken. Before filing the court order, health officials attempted to persuade her to seek treatment for the disease. The woman was now forced to be quarantined and treated for her illness, which could take up to nine months. Her name, age, and race were not revealed in order to protect her identity. It is unclear, however, why she refused treatment or quarantine.
Since the coronavirus pandemic, people have been skeptical about medical treatments and some have objected them due to their religious beliefs or issues with their mental health. If tuberculosis is left untreatedm, it can lead to meningitis, a disease causing the brain and spinal cord to swell which can lead to death.
Social media reacts to the case and shares their own opinion about the court intefering.
After the news went viral on Twitter, user @Frank_Schaeffer created a poll and asked their followers if the court had the right to intervene with her medical treatment. In response, one user said, “I don’t have a problem with her being forced to quarantine to protect the public, but I don’t think she should be forced to take medication. She should be educated to the benefits of medication, and the outcome if she chooses not to, and let her make that choice.”
Another user said they worked in public health and they dealt with patients who didn’t want to quarantine despite having a highly contagious disease.
“Yes! I remember a couple TB cases when I worked in Public Health where we had to do that to non compliant patients.”