THE CONCEPT OF QUARANTINE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH RELATED CATEGORIES

Abstract

Introduction. The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic has forced most states to establish quarantine measures, and quarantine has been introduced throughout Ukraine since March 2020. The purpose of the article is a complete comprehensive study of the concept of "quarantine" both etymologically and medically and legally; identification of its main features that allow to distinguish quarantine from such related categories as observation and (self) isolation. In the study to establish the essence of the concept of "quarantine" used methods such as: etymological, historical, comparative law.

Summary of the main research results. It is noted that quarantine was first introduced in the 14th century in Italy during the plague outbreak. In explanatory dictionaries, quarantine is considered in two meanings: 1) sanitary point (medical post); 2) stay (detention) for a certain period of time of persons who came from places where there is plague or any infection, or persons who have suffered an epidemic disease or had contact with patients to avoid the spread of the disease. From a medical point of view, quarantine is considered as a system of state or local sanitary measures aimed at preventing the spread of infectious diseases and the elimination of epidemiological outbreaks. The Law of Ukraine "On Protection of the Population from Infectious Diseases" defines quarantine as administrative and health measures used to prevent the spread of particularly dangerous infectious diseases. In the legal literature, quarantine is considered a legal regime.

Conclusions. The study identified such important features of quarantine as: quarantine - a set of administrative, health, organizational, legal, restrictive, anti-epidemic measures; such measures are limited in time and place; measures have a specific purpose - to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in the country; quarantine involves isolating the quarantine object from others. These features allow to distinguish quarantine from such related categories as observation and (self) isolation. Observation is the stay of a person at risk of spreading an infectious disease in the observatory for the purpose of its examination and medical supervision. Self-isolation is defined as the presence of a person in respect of whom there are reasonable grounds for the risk of infection or spread of an infectious disease in a place (premises) designated by him in order to comply with anti-epidemic measures on the basis of the person’s obligation. It is emphasized that the terms "quarantine", "observation" and "isolation" are related, provide for certain anti-epidemic measures aimed at preventing the spread of infectious diseases.