Diseases through the Gate

[Davey]

I realize it would eliminate some storylines, but why wasn't protection from, and spreading, unknown pathogens and diseases the very first protocol of Stargate travel? How was it possible to allow contact even with other humans without first ensuring that no disease threat existed, if such a protocol could even exist, either for incoming or outgoing wormholes?
On the other hand, spreading disease to the goa'uld and Wraith could have had benefits, certainly diseases that they could not heal!

[NickEast]

It was. The first thing that happens when an SG team returns from a mission is to perform a medical check up in the infirmary. Alien visitors also have to be checked when they arrive for the first time. Think airports. Quarantine isn't necessary unless there is an obvious medical issue. When someone gets sick during or right after a mission, they will be quarantined immediately.

[Davey]

Would it have been doable to have a quarantine chamber set up right after the gate for incoming visitors and returning teams? One can never know what someone might be carrying, not to mention any pathogens, including allergies that someone going offworld to another planet might carry from Earth. It is too risky to walk unprotected through the Gate area because of the other personnel and air circulation system. Ah well, whatever......

[thekillman]

Would it have been doable to have a quarantine chamber set up right after the gate for incoming visitors and returning teams? One can never know what someone might be carrying, not to mention any pathogens, including allergies that someone going offworld to another planet might carry from Earth. It is too risky to walk unprotected through the Gate area because of the other personnel and air circulation system. Ah well, whatever......

I don't think so. It would be dangerous in terms of defense and deployment (after all, people rushing to defend the gate would then have to rush through the disease-ridden quarantine). Seems to me that the SGC as a whole acts as a quarantine zone for the gate, with people being assessed as they come out of the gate and as they enter/exit the base.

[NickEast]

Would it have been doable to have a quarantine chamber set up right after the gate for incoming visitors and returning teams? One can never know what someone might be carrying, not to mention any pathogens, including allergies that someone going offworld to another planet might carry from Earth. It is too risky to walk unprotected through the Gate area because of the other personnel and air circulation system. Ah well, whatever......

What @thekillman said is true. The SGC itself serves as a sort of quarantine zone. If there's an outbreak, the giant blast doors close. And no-one is allowed off the base until after a full medical check up so the chances of missing something is slim.

But airports work the same way. People come from all over the world. If you ever saw any of those documentaries or reality shows then you would see what many travelers would bring with them. Especially food. Airports aren't quarantined ever, yet there is still the risk of a person bringing in a disease or allergens, or non-indigenous insects. And those people don't have to do a medical check up every time they arrive. But if something happens, such as passengers on an airplane getting sick, then the plane will be quarantined. That happened a few days ago.

It's all a calculated risk. But the biggest reason is for story. If everything was 100% safe and no risks were ever taken, then you never have an interesting story. If every contingency, fail-safe and security measure worked perfectly, then nothing interesting would ever happen.

[Davey]

All your points are very well taken, Nivao. The only difference would the existence or transmission between worlds of pathogens and diseases for which Earth or the other planets have no possible solution.

[NickEast]

All your points are very well taken, Nivao. The only difference would the existence or transmission between worlds of pathogens and diseases for which Earth or the other planets have no possible solution.

Of course.

Spoiler:

This actually happened with the Ori plague in "The Fourth Horseman", which did result in a massive pandemic on Earth. They never really acknowledged it after the fact and should obviously have endangered the secrecy of the program, but that's another discussion. Earth was only saved due to the timely intervention and sacrifice of Gerak.