The
next time you take a flight to or from the U.S. you won't just
be subject to full body scans, fingerprint analysis and retinal
probes, you may have your temperature taken and could even be
quarantined under new powers granted to airports to deal with
the H1N1 "pandemic".
Airport security staff have been issued new guidelines
by the government to watch out for people who "look like
they may have the H1N1 virus".
Any passengers singled out may then be asked to
have their temperatures taken, walk through screening devices,
and provide more detailed information about their state of health.
Airports will also have the authority to quarantine
entire flights of people if they suspect one person on board
has swine flu.
The new guidelines have been published on the
Flu.gov
website with a notice that reads:
Due to the outbreak of H1N1 (Swine) flu occurring
in the United States and many other countries, airport staff
in some countries may check the health of arriving passengers.
Travelers from the United States arriving in other countries
may be checked for fever and other symptoms of H1N1 (Swine)
flu, and their travel may be delayed.
The guidelines indicate that airport security staff may ask
international travelers to:
Pass through a scanning device that checks your temperature.
(The device may look like an airport metal detector, a camera,
or a handheld device.)
Have your temperature taken with an oral or ear thermometer
Fill out a sheet of questions about your health
Review information about the symptoms of H1N1 (Swine) flu
Give your address, phone number, and other contact information
Be quarantined for a period of time if a passenger on your
flight is found to have symptoms of H1N1 (Swine) flu
Contact health authorities in the country you are visiting
to let them know if you become ill
If passengers are suspected of having H1N1 after screening
they may, according to the guidelines:
Be isolated from other people until you are well
Have a medical examination
Take a rapid flu test (which consists of a nasal swab sample)
Be hospitalized and given medical treatment, if you test
positive for H1N1 (Swine) flu
In related news, Massachusetts
lawmakers yesterday passed a bill giving public
health officials the power to isolate and quarantine people
they suspect to be infected with contagious diseases.
The
next time you take a flight to or from the U.S. you won't just
be subject to full body scans, fingerprint analysis and retinal
probes, you may have your temperature taken and could even be
quarantined under new powers granted to airports to deal with
the H1N1 "pandemic".
