On the other hand, I would have thought that doctors would be able to immediately see the difference between smallpox and "something to be handled by a dermatologist". It would also be nice if the article had told us the NAME of this man's skin malady, if it is that easily confused with smallpox.
The problem is that early in the course there is not much to distinguish it from any number of illnesses. Initially it looks for all the world like the "flu" with fever and musl ache. ven when the rash first appears its a tough diagnosis, especially since almost NONE of us has ever seen a real case....
when the rash first appears its a tough diagnosis, especially since almost NONE of us has ever seen a real case.... Yeah, but the pictures of real cases are pretty unforgettable.
What I'm saying is that there must be some way to rule it out visually, since the quarantine was, after all, lifted in an hour. About the time it would take to get a city health official over to Brooklyn to say "You gotta be kidding me"...