Quarantine consternation in Edmonton measles scare

Kevin Willey is seen speaking to CTV News Channel from his home in Edmonton, Thursday, March 31, 2016.

An Edmonton man says he’s frustrated he’s being forced to stay at home for 21 days because he may have been exposed to measles.

Not only has Kevin Willey had to cancel a long-anticipated honeymoon with his wife because of the quarantine, he also has to miss three weeks of work, and the income he would have earned in that time.

“We need the money, you know. I got to work,” he told CTV News Channel on Thursday.

Willey is one of 100 people ordered by Alberta Health Services into quarantine because they were at Stollery Children’s Hospital’s emergency department earlier this month at the same time as a boy who was later diagnosed with measles.

AHS had to contact everyone who could have been exposed to the highly contagious virus. Of those, 101 people could not offer written proof they had been vaccinated or were naturally immune (People born before 1970 are considered immune, because the illness was widespread then. Those who have had measles are also immune).

Willey, who had been at the hospital with his daughter Lexi, could find her immunization records to show she was safe, but can no longer find his own.

“My mum swears under oath that I have been vaccinated… but I just can’t prove it,” he said.

Dr. Gerry Predy, senior medical officer of health at Alberta Health Services, said those who fall under the quarantine are expected to comply in order to prevent further spread of the infection.

"We don’t police them but in most cases where we've done this before there's been very good compliance from the people who have been exposed, because it is in their best interest, as well, not to expose others and get one case turning into an outbreak," Predy told CTV News Channel.

Predy said those affected have been asked to avoid places such as daycares, their workplaces, and other confined environments, because they could be carrying the infection even if they're not aware of it.

"Well, if they happen to be incubating the disease -- in other words they're infected and they're still not sick -- they can still actually transmit the disease before they develop the symptoms, so that’s why we are keeping them excluded for that 21-day period," said Predy.

Willey knows that measles is potentially dangerous and so he understands the need for the quarantine. But he says the time away from work is hurting his family financially, since he is the sole earner. He also doesn’t understand why he wasn’t contacted about the potential exposure until eight days after he and his daughter were at the hospital.

“I completely respect how the procedure works; it’s just the timing,” he said.

An AHS spokesperson told CTV News that they don’t normally notify people of possible exposures until the disease has been lab-confirmed -- a process that can take a few days. They said the situation was handled according to their protocol.

"What people have to realize is: from the time they get exposed till the time they actually get the diagnosis from the lab, it takes several days and if we can get to people within 72 hours of their exposure we can give them the measles vaccine to protect them from that exposure," Predy said.

"But in this case, and most cases, we did not get the diagnosis till well after that 72-hour period."

Willey says it’s “difficult” being at home all day instead of working. But the one bright spot is that he’s learned how to vacuum for the first time, and it’s given him a new perspective about what it’s like to be home with three small children every day.

“Trust me: I clearly understand now why sometimes dinner isn’t made when I come home,” he said with a smile.

Predy said health authorities will continue to monitor those who fall under the quarantine to see if they develop symptoms.

"We'll get them checked as soon as possible, and we're just keeping our fingers crossed given the contagiousness of measles," he said.

With a report from CTV Edmonton’s Carmen Leibel