In February 1979, Dr. Steve Hardy was forced to place General Hospital under quarantine due to an outbreak of a rare and mysterious disease known as Lassa Fever.
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Dr. Rick Webber checks in on a patient (1979)
Nurse Audrey Hardy, Dr. Gail Baldwin, Dr. Rick Webber, Dr. Jeff Webber, Dr. Alan Quartermaine, and Dr. Monica Quartermaine were among the hospital staff, employees and even visitors who were quarantined within the walls of the hospital for weeks. After enduring weeks of intense labor, Dr. Hardy succumbed to a potentially lethal illness. Audrey, having learned from Terri Webber Arnett that Terri's brother Jeff was the son of Steve due to an affair with the late Helene Webber, chose to keep this information confidential until Steve's health deteriorated. Believing that Steve was on the brink of death, Audrey revealed this shocking news to Jeff, which resulted in a significant upheaval within the Hardy family. The quarantine also signaled the beginning of Monica Quartermaine's affair with Rick Webber. A cure was formulated using Dr. Hardy's notes and shortly afterwards everyone afflicted by the disease was restored to health.