Jun 22, 2023 21:00:00

A woman who has been refusing treatment and isolation for over a year while suffering from tuberculosis is finally arrested

According to

the World Health Organization (WHO), tuberculosis is an infectious disease that causes symptoms such as cough, fever, malaise, and dyspnea. is a disease that is killing people. Tuberculosis is also airborne through coughs, sneezes, and saliva of patients, so tuberculosis patients may be quarantined. Meanwhile, an American woman was finally arrested for violating court treatment and isolation orders for more than a year while suffering from tuberculosis.

We continue to work through all options in Tacoma tuberculosis case | Blog - Your Reliable Source | Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department
https://www.tpcd.org/Home/Components/Blog/Blog/32629/333

Woman with untreated TB finally in custody—held in “negative pressure” room | Ars Technica

https://arstechnica.com/health/2023/06/woman-with-untreated-tb-finally-in-custody-held-in-negative-pressure-room/

Tuberculosis causes symptoms similar to those of the common cold, such as coughing, phlegm, fever, and difficulty breathing. In the worst cases, it is a serious infection that can lead to death. If tuberculosis develops and is not treated, the mortality rate is approximately 50%.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, more than 10,000 new cases of tuberculosis occur each year in Japan, and about 2,000 patients lose their lives. In addition, it isreported that 11,519 people were newly registered as tuberculosis patients in the 2021 survey.

To treat tuberculosis, multiple antibiotics must be taken continuously for 4 to 6 months, even if there are no complications, and treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis bacteria can take up to 20 months. is needed. Proper treatment will reduce the possibility of infecting others in a few weeks and lead to complete recovery, but some patients may refuse to take the proper prescription or treatment.

On January 19, 2022 , the Tacoma-Pearce County Health Department (TPCHD) in Washington State, USA, ordered women with tuberculosis to undergo voluntary isolation and treatment, but women did not comply with that order, so on January 26, 2022, the court ordered the woman to ``stay at home and cooperate with tests and treatments recommended by doctors and medical personnel.''

However, the woman did not comply with the court's order of isolation and treatment. Therefore, the court decided against women on February 14th, February 24th, March 24th, April 19th, May 17th, June 28th, July 27th, August 25th, September 27th. Orders requiring isolation and treatment have been issued 12 times on Sunday, October 21st, November 18th, and December 16th.

After that, in January 2023, the woman had a traffic accident while riding in a car driven by another person, and the next day complained of chest pain and visited the emergency department. At that time, the woman did not tell the medical staff that she was a tuberculosis patient, so the medical staff who examined her were also exposed to the risk of contracting tuberculosis. It is said that the condition of the woman's lungs taken in the X-ray image was so advanced that it was suspected that it was ``lung cancer''. The woman also tested positive for the new coronavirus, revealing that she did not comply with a court order to 'isolate at home.'

As it was nearly a year after the original court order, on January 20, 2023, the court ruled that the woman could face electronic home surveillance, detention in Pierce County Jail, or other charges if she did not comply with the order. He suggested that further measures by lawful order issued by the court could be taken.

A woman suffering from tuberculosis who violated a court order and refused treatment or isolation for more than a year may finally be detained-GIGAZINE

Nigel Turner, director of TPCHD's Communicable Disease Control Division, said: 'Mandatory detention is our last option and should not be taken lightly. But sometimes it is an option when there is a risk to the public. will also be needed,” he said.

But on March 2, just over a month after the court's order, the woman was still refusing isolation and treatment, and Court Judge Philip Sorensen told local security officials, 'March I am issuing a civil arrest warrant that authorizes the woman to be detained and taken to Pierce County Jail for isolation, testing, and treatment after 3 days.'

The woman, who continues to violate the quarantine order, was spotted riding a municipal bus to a local casino in April 2023, according to a reporter from The News Tribune, a local media outlet in Tacoma County where the woman lives. , Matt Driscoll, said , 'It's the limit of patience,' and is calling on local law enforcement to arrest the woman.

It was later announced on June 1, 2023 that the woman was arrested by the Pierce County Sheriff. Pierce County Sheriff Sergeant Darren Moss said, 'The woman was safely taken into custody at her home. She was transported to prison in a vehicle that separated the air between the driver's seat and the rear cabin. It was reported. ``She will be housed in a negative pressure isolation, testing and treatment room in Pierce County Jail and will be treated for tuberculosis as ordered by a judge,'' Turner said.