One can be infected with tuberculosis but have a very small bacterial load in secretions and therefore have a small risk of transmitting the disease to others.  If I understand the media reports correctly, this attorney was told before going to Europe that he was at low-infectivity stage and therefore able to travel reasonably.  It was known he had DR-TB (Drug Resistant TB) at that time which is usually amenable to 2nd line medication cocktails.  It is unclear yet who said what about flying and his risk of infecting others.  Surely his father in law, a TB scientist would give some words of wisdom to his daughter and new son in law, though daddy in law isn't saying too much as he's probably been told by the other daddy, also an attorney attorney, to keep his trap shut to the media.

Now the newlyweds take off for Europe and while in Rome the infected attorney is called by the CDC and told he has EDR-TB (Extremely Drug Resistant TB), which is resistant to one or all of the 2nd line meds and has a historical survival rate of 30%.  He is told in no uncertain terms to not fly and to go to the US Embassy or to the Italian medical authorities for assistance.  Now scared by the worse diagnosis, the infected attorny hatches a plan to go against official US Government policy and medical orders, jumps on 2 flights to Canada and then rents a car to sneak into the US. 

There is no doubt this attorney knew his condition, knew the gravity as it related to US policy, knew he could be identified via his passport so he utilized foreign air carriers and/or foreign destinations for travel to circumvent interacting with US agents as much as possible, and he knew that there was a possibility of infecting others becuase the CDC had told him NOT TO FLY COMMERCIALLY and SEEK HELP IMMEDIATELY.

This attorney is a criminal regardless of whether others become infected or not.  His wanton disregard for direct US Government orders/policy to seek help in Rome, his wanton disregard for the public's safety and his direct circumvention of US border policy (he knowingly crossed the US border carrying a harmful/deadly disease) are enough to brand him a criminal.  I also do not believe his story about the US government not offering assistance.  As I recall, a CDC jet was readied for flight to Rome to pick him up.  This attorney/criminal got scared, rabbited and endangered potentially hundreds of lives.

And yes, he should be wearing a mask around other people.  This is yet another example of his selfish and careless behaviour.  And then there is the topic of swapping spit with his wife on their honeymoon.  Does this man have no compassion or respect for his wife? 

It is premature of you to take his story as the real story without hearing all the sides.  This guy lies for a living.  His father lies for a living.  His entire upbringing is based on the money "earned" by lying.  What makes you think he's compulsively telling the truth now?  His big baby blues?  He purposefully took off his mask to be photographed to show you his sweet and innocent baby face, one that could never tell an untruth.  Right?  Just another manipulation like so many others he performed recently.

In fact he was and is infectious though the risk was slight according to the information presented so far.  If there was no risk there would be no testing of people he wantonly exposed on the flights.  That's a fact.

One HUGE problem are the HIPAA Guidelines concerning patient privacy.  The criminal/attorney's medical privacy do not allow his local physicians, nor the state and federal physicians and government employees to discuss much concerning this case other than the illness and potential risks for public health issues at this pont in time.  I was shocked to hear the guys name in the media as I would have thought HIPAA rules would have trumped all else, EXCEPT he became a criminal and endangered the public health.  At that point, he was fair game for reporting some details.  When officials can speak more on the record, I'll bet we'll hear some contradictions to the criminal/attorney's own story.

It is a lie that the US Governement and the CDC were going to let this guy blow in the wind.  According to previous media reports, a CDC jet was going to pick him up in Rome but he bugged out before it got off the ground.

It is also a lie that the criminal/attorny would die or fail treatment while in Rome.  Italy certainly has the capability of dispensing the proper medicines in the proper sequences, especially within the context of CDC and international treatment guidelines.  It ain't rocket science to pump drugs into a body.  The treatment could have been started in Rome and he could have been transported back to the USA in short order. 

The criminal/attorney got scared and did the most selfish and reckless thing possible, given the CDC's instructions, and then rationalized it on national TV with Diane Whoreyer.  His mea culpa was as transparently ridiculous and self-serving as a school kid's excuse of "my dog ate my homework".

Whether he actually infects someone or not does not negate his reckless, narcisistic criminal behaviour.   I would find it hard to believe he has not violated one or more federal laws.  I am sure he has done harm enough for civil suits to be initiated.  Fear is not a justification for his actions.  An attorney does know that criminal behaviour can occur despite good intentions.  I'll bet dollars to doughnuts we will learn that his scientist father, let alone the CDC, told him the potential consequences of EDR-TB.  The criminal/attorney knew what was going on - I believe that's called "with malice and forethought".  

This guy has no excuse for his actions.