Dear Commons Community,
A doctor in New York City who recently returned from treating Ebola patients in Guinea became the first person in the city to test positive for the Ebola virus yesterday. The doctor, Craig Spencer, was rushed to Bellevue Hospital Center and placed in isolation at the same time as investigators sought to retrace every step he had taken over the past several days. As reported in The New York Times:
“While officials have said they expected isolated cases of the disease to arrive in New York eventually, and had been preparing for this moment for months, the first case highlighted the challenges involved in containing the virus, especially in a crowded metropolis. Dr. Spencer, 33, had traveled on the A and L subway lines Wednesday night, visited a bowling alley in Williamsburg, and then took a taxi back to Manhattan.
People infected with Ebola cannot spread the disease until they begin to display symptoms, and it cannot be spread through the air. As people become sicker, the viral load in the body builds, and they become increasingly contagious…
Dr. Spencer had been working with Doctors Without Borders in Guinea treating Ebola patients, and completed his work on Oct. 12th. He flew out of the country on Oct. 14, traveling via Europe, and arrived in New York on Oct. 17.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, speaking at a news conference at Bellevue on Thursday night, sought to reassure New Yorkers that there was no reason to be alarmed.
“Being on the same subway car or living near a person with Ebola does not in itself put someone at risk,” he said.
It appears that Mayor de Blasio is confident that the City is prepared to deal with Dr. Spencer. We wish the doctor a speedy recovery and hopefully he has not infected anyone else.
Tony
