Quarantine is one of CDC’s NPI Capabilities and is closely related to the broader category of Social Distancing. In general, quarantine involves physical separation of exposed well persons from the general population for durations consistent with the expected duration of asymptomatic infectiousness (or “incubation”). When implemented under appropriate circumstances, quarantine can be effective in reducing transmission of the disease by minimizing contact.
Implementing effective quarantine requires a number of key decisions. These include who to quarantine, where to quarantine, and how long to quarantine. The who and where decisions require consideration of factors such as the basic reproductive number of the pathogen (i.e., the number of people needed to become infected to cause a significant epidemic) and the risk and consequences of exposure. It is important that people under quarantine receive care and essential services while the quarantine is in place.
Our research shows that when public health officials communicate clear messages and respect the role of quarantine as an effective tool for containing disease, it is broadly accepted by the community. However, it is also clear that large-scale quarantine is very difficult to implement and imposes many burdens on the communities that are impacted. Specifically, our research showed that participants who were placed under institutional quarantine often felt isolation and stigma, which in turn strained relationships and made it harder for them to access the services they needed to meet their daily needs. This disproportionately affected people who derive their livelihood from the informal sector and who may not have access to traditional safety nets such as savings, alternative income sources, and flexible working arrangements.