A woman in Maine recently left her house, mounted her bike, took it for a spin, and returned home. Riveting, right? Well The New York Times thought so, and made it headline news. But to their credit, that's because this wasn't just any woman – it was Kaci Hickox, a nurse who handled Ebola patients in Sierra Leone before returning to the United States. And Hickox's morning spin wasn't just any bike ride. Instead, it was an act of defiance – or the most pleasant, scenic protest imaginable.
The question of quarantine
Exactly how worried should we be about more Ebola cases arising in the U.S.? And should we allow that fear to infringe on peoples' personal liberties? This debate has been raging ever since Hickox returned from West Africa. During her work in Sierra Leone, it's clear that Hickox, like any Ebola nurse, was in close proximity to the disease. But proximity and exposure are two very different things, particularly where Ebola is concerned. The disease only spreads via direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person. It is not airborne, and the possibility of it ever becoming airborne is extraordinarily remote. But while Ebola doesn't spread through the air, fear does, and it's the latter ailment that's largely dictated how Hickox has been treated.
Hickox arrived back in the U.S. from Sierra Leone on Oct. 24, CNN reported. After landing in Newark, New Jersey, she was taken to a hospital in the area and quarantined due to a low-grade fever. She had to spend three days in an isolation tent before being permitted to go to her home to continue the period of quarantine. To be clear, Hickox has not shown any signs of having Ebola. In fact, she's twice tested negative for it. But the incubation period for the disease can last up to 21 days, and so that's the amount of time the state is quarantining her for. That period will be up in mid-November, but if you think Hickox is OK with that, think again.
"I'm not willing to stand here and let my civil rights be violated when it's not science-based," Hickox said.
And stand she didn't – instead, she hopped on her bike.
The fateful bike ride
Apart from providing an opportunity to take in the breeze, Hickox's Thursday morning bike ride was also an implicit statement on her part that she doesn't plan to accept the terms of the quarantine.
"I am not going to sit around and be bullied by politicians and forced to stay in my home when I am not a risk to the American public," The New York Times quoted her as saying.
A grainy video posted on USAToday shows Hickox and her boyfriend pedaling down a tree-lined street in Fort Kent, Maine. Hickox comments on the beauty of her surroundings and tells the cameraman that she's biking because it's enjoyable and something she does routinely. But what is decidedly not part of Hickox's routine is having to deal with the state police currently monitoring her life. Even during her bike ride, an unmarked cop car was reported to be following her. Without a court order authorities have no right to detain her, which makes the whole situation legally murky. If they can't detain her, what right to they have to station themselves outside her house? For her part, Hickox has a simple answer: Fear can quickly cloud peoples' better judgment.
"I understand how fear spreads," Hickox said. "Now, it's the medical professionals who are being stigmatized. Even if there is popular public opinion, we still have to advocate for what's right."
