Quarantine and Isolation

Quarantine and isolation are often used interchangeably but are actually two distinct procedures necessitated by different threats.

Quarantine involves separating those exposed but not certainly sick from the general population to prevent possible contagion. The last well known incident of quarantine being employed in Los Angeles was the plague epidemic of the 1920s, with quarantine blocks being implemented in Chinatown. 

Isolation means separating those conclusively known to be infected with a contagious agent from others and is generally employed in a hospital.