The two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but they do not mean the same thing.
Definitions do matter. When words are mixed and matched so that they don't differentiate between meanings, people can get confused.
Reading, listening and watching coverage of the Ebola outbreak I have heard numerous improper uses of the two terms isolation and quarantine.
There is a dramatic difference and these words are not interchangeable.
When someone is suspected of having been exposed to a contagious disease but are not showing any symptoms, they may be placed into quarantine. This is done as a prophylactic measure to protect not the individual, but others around him or her. People would normally be quarantined at home and not in a medical setting.
A person who has been diagnosed as actually having a contagious disease should be placed in isolation. This is normally done in a hospital setting with special protective measures being taken to prevent the further spread of the disease.
Be sure to have these terms set in your own mind so that we don't further confuse the issue. I have not heard it yet, but I'm waiting for someone to report that a person has been placed in isolation quarantine.
www.emergencymgmt.com
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