Nurse held for Ebola testing in N.J. will quarantine herself at home

The nurse who has been quarantined at University Hospital in Newark because she had worked with Ebola patients in West Africa will quarantine herself at home, according to the Maine Health Department. The health department pledged to “work collaboratively” with her and coordinate any food or medicine she might need if she begins to show symptoms.

Kaci Hickox, who tested negative for the potentially deadly virus, will be released today and transported privately to her home state, New Jersey health officials said earlier today.

Maine health officials released a statement detailing the state’s plans for how it would respond to her arrival and that of other medical professionals.

“We will work collaboratively with the affected individual to establish quarantine of the individual in his or her home for 21 days after the last possible exposure to Ebola. Twenty-one days is the longest time it can take from the time a person is infected with Ebola until that person has symptoms of Ebola,” according to the statement from Maine officials.

“This protocol for a higher-risk individual will be implemented for the first time when a healthcare worker who came into contact with Ebola-positive individuals returns soon from New Jersey,” according to the statement from the Maine Health Department. “Under this policy, Maine will make every possible effort to implement an agreed-upon in-home quarantine. We fully expect individuals to voluntarily comply with an in-home quarantine.”

“The Maine CDC will coordinate care services such as food and medicine if needed,” the statement said.