Cured: Washington Tuberculosis Patient Who Faced Arrest for Treatment Refusal 

Cured: Washington Tuberculosis Patient Who Faced Arrest for Treatment Refusal. Credit | Getty Images
Cured: Washington Tuberculosis Patient Who Faced Arrest for Treatment Refusal. Credit | Getty Images

United States: A Washington state woman who was arrested after refusing to isolate or take medication for tuberculosis for over a year has now been cured of the disease.  

The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department announced that she has tested negative for tuberculosis multiple times and gave permission to share this update. The woman and her family wanted to share this conclusion due to the significant media coverage and community discussion the case generated. 

Case Drew National Attention 

Also this particular case drew national attention as the authorities pursued months of the legal action to prevent the woman from potentially infecting others. Authorities even enlisted her family to persuade her to accept treatment. 

Cured: Washington Tuberculosis Patient Who Faced Arrest for Treatment Refusal. Credit | Tljungblad@kcstar.com
Cured: Washington Tuberculosis Patient Who Faced Arrest for Treatment Refusal. Credit | Tljungblad@kcstar.com

“She gained back weight she’d lost and is healthy again,” the Health Department said in its statement, adding that the woman and her family are “happy she got the help she needed.” 

Tuberculosis Overview and Legal Measures 

Tuberculosis, which is indeed caused  by bacteria that attack the lungs or other parts of the body, can spread through the air when a person with an active case coughs, sneezes or speaks.  

Nearly up to 13 million people in the United States have idle infections and meaning that they aren’t contagious and don’t have any specific symptoms but nearly around 5 percent to the 10 percent of the latent cases develop into the active complaint if they ’re left undressed. 

So, the treatment for the tuberculosis and generally consists of the antibiotics taken daily or weekly for a period of months and during that time people with the active complaint must be separate or insulated until they ’re no longer contagious. 

Court Orders and Compliance Issues 

Also the  department requested a court order in January 2022 to require the woman identified in the court papers by the initials V.N to also comply with the cure and isolation rules. Washington state law gives public health officials the legal authority to seek a court order when a person’s refusal to isolate or take the drugs for the tuberculosis threatens public safety. 

Over the period of time health officials got more court orders to compel the patient to stay home but she continued to violate them.