Aid Groups Say Quarantines Are Deterring Ebola Volunteers

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has seen a significant drop-off in the number of health workers enlisting in the fight against Ebola in recent weeks, a decline medical charities attribute in part to the quarantines some states are imposing on volunteers returning from the outbreak zone, NPR reports. USAID said applications to serve in West Africa are down 17 percent since late October, when New York and New Jersey became the first states to implement three-week isolation periods for Ebola workers.

Aid groups have warned that the quarantines could have a chilling effect as they seek personnel to help stem the epidemic. While other factors could be affecting volunteerism, such as the upcoming holiday season, public health experts say the quarantine rules are playing a part. “Once the restrictions were issued, we definitely had people who said [they’re] going to have to back out,” said Margaret Aguirre, the head of global initiatives at the International Medical Corps in Los Angeles, which has about 30 workers in West Africa.