A Washington judge Thursday issued an arrest warrant for a Tacoma woman. The woman refused treatment for ongoing infectious tuberculosis for more than a year in violation of numerous court orders. I was able to receive examinations and treatment as soon as possible.
On Thursday, the woman attended the 17th court hearing on the issue, again rejecting a court order to isolate or comply with testing and treatment. This order originally dated her to January 19, 2022. She objected to being treated and upheld the finding of contempt. According to The News Tribune, it remains unclear what her objection was, but said the woman’s lawyer could be a matter of understanding. However, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department claimed that she “willfully, willfully and disrespectfully violated this court order,” and that an interpreter, translated documents, and her native language The speakers mentioned the lengthy process and numerous procedures and discussions that were made available.
Sorenson ordered a civil warrant for her arrest to go into effect no later than March 3, putting her back in prison for involuntary testing and treatment until health officials determined she could be released safely. I ordered you. The order also authorized Pierce County Jail to place her in a facility equipped to handle her isolation, testing, and treatment.
In a statement emailed to Ars and posted on an online blog, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department said the woman “still refuses to undergo the isolation and treatment necessary to treat tuberculosis. .
As Ars previously reported, the court had been renewing her isolation and treatment order monthly since January 2022. of the community. It sees detention as “just a last resort”.
However, the sector appears to have hit a breaking point in January of this year. In addition to the woman’s one-year rebellious period, she was involved in a car accident on January 11 as her passenger. The incident clearly showed that the woman had violated self-isolation orders, putting the driver at risk of infection. In addition, the woman went to the emergency department the next day complaining of chest pain and did not tell her doctor about her active tuberculosis case, putting her doctor and other hospital staff at risk. . When they took x-rays of her lungs, they first suspected she had cancer, but in reality, the images showed her tuberculosis case was worsening.
Finally, she also tested positive for COVID-19, “which strongly suggests that she has not been quarantined in accordance with this court order,” the court filing from the health ministry said. says.
Tuberculosis is a potentially fatal bacterial infection caused by: Mycobacterium tuberculosisAlthough primarily associated with lung infections, bacteria can invade many areas of the body. Mycobacterium tuberculosis It is spread through the air through coughs, sneezes, and other respiratory emissions. Those at greatest risk are those who have been in close contact with an infected person for a long time. But inhaling just a few germs is enough to sow the seeds of an infection.
Once an infection is established, it is not easy to get rid of it. The standard treatment for uncomplicated tuberculosis is four antibiotics taken for four or six months. Failure to follow through on treatment can spur drug resistance. If the bacterium develops drug resistance (which is increasing globally), treatment can take up to 20 months, and alternative antibiotic courses can be expensive and toxic.
Overall, tuberculosis is one of the deadliest infections in the world, with 1.6 million deaths in 2021, according to the World Health Organization. In addition, the increase in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and broadly drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) is considered a global public health crisis and threat to health security.
