Yes — nearly 30 people, none of whom ultimately developed into active, spreading cases of the virus, were in isolation for a total of 42 days. That is a significant impinging — upon their constitutional / civil liberties.

But let us not forget that, at the point of quarantine. . . seven had alrady died from that small ship. It seemed possible — probable even — that this strain of the hantavirus was spreading at distances of something around four feet, when someone coughed into your own “airspace”.

Even so, the NYT has quite rightly published the inside stories of those held for 42 days.

I support both truths here. And I support arresting epidemics… aggressively. Here’s the counter-narrative:

…It was May 17, six days after United States health officials had evacuated 18 Americans from the cruise ship at the center of a hantavirus outbreak that had killed three people, and taken them to the special facility in Omaha, Neb., for what they had said would be a quick 72-hour evaluation before the passengers could go home to quarantine.

None of them had tested positive for the virus but now, an official from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. David Fitter, was telling them on a video call that they would not be permitted to leave for at least two more weeks.

These were people who had paid thousands of dollars for a cruise through uninhabited regions, in pursuit of exotic birds and animals. They chafed against the loss of fresh air, nature and, most of all, their freedom.

“I’m asking you, as a scientist and a human,” a passenger with a red-headed woodpecker as his Zoom icon said to Dr. Fitter, on a copy of the video call viewed by The New York Times. “Do you think that this is really a sensible decision to keep me here in this room that’s making me sicker day by day, being here when I could be home isolating in a perfectly reasonable situation?”

Now you know — both sides have merit here — but the good of the many outweighed the good of the few in this setting. That’s my estimation… all as the Canadian wildfire air has mostly cleared here. Thank you, Lake Michigan winds!

नमस्ते