Privacy and common sense
A few years back I was traveling home late at night on a country road and saw a crashed car on fire. Myself and another driver stopped, bust open the car and pulled the unconscious driver out. We both got cut in the process and get this bugger's blood over us. The ambulance came and carted him off and he survived.
So once the whole exercise was finished it was natural enough to be concerned about various infectious diseases the person might be carrying.
I phoned the hospital. Sorry, they can't say anything because of privacy laws.
So what about people who risk themselves? No rights for them.... Next time I'll just consider driving by.
That's a problem with these laws, they lack any common sense or fair play.
After much shagging around I spoke to the country cop who came to investigate the crash. He "asked around" and very informally and obliquely told me that there was nothing to be worried about. As much as there are privacy laws, they are still operated by people who - still- have a touch of common sense.
The same when using info for search and rescue. I would hope that we don't degenerate into a society where we need to take three days and sign a bunch of forms in front of a magistrate to try find someone who needs to be rescued NOW and not in three days time.