A 33-year old New York doctor named Dr. Craig Spencer who made a trip to Guinea to help treat infected patients was on Thursday, October 23, 2014, confirmed to have contracted the deadly virus. This makes it the fourth confirmed Ebola case in the United States.
Spencer who was a fellow of international emergency medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, and an instructor in clinical medicine at Columbia University, reported a “fever of 103 degrees and gastrointestinal problems” in the early hours of Thursday, October 23, 2014.
Following the report, Spencer was taken to Bellevue Hospital in an ambulance staffed by a “specially trained HAZ TAC unit wearing Personal Protective Equipment,” according to a statement from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
According to a post attached to a photo on his Facebook page, he left for West Africa from Brussels in September and returned to Brussels on October 16, 2014. The photo shows him fully clad in his protective wears.
“Off to Guinea with Doctors Without Borders,” he wrote. “Please support organizations that are sending support or personnel to West Africa, and help combat one of the worst public health and humanitarian disasters in recent history,” the post stated.
During an evening press conference on Thursday, October 23, 2014 after the news had gone viral, New York City Mayor, Bill de Blasio said, “There is no reason for New Yorkers to be alarmed”
“New Yorkers who have not been exposed to an infected person’s bodily fluids are not at all at risk.” Sharing a subway car or living near someone with Ebola does not transmit the disease.”
Reacting to the news also was Governor Andrew Cuomo who added, “We are as ready as one could be for this circumstance,”
“What happened in Dallas was unfortunately the exact opposite — we had the advantage of learning from the Dallas experience.”The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which will do a further test to confirm the initial results, has dispatched an Ebola response team to New York. President Barack Obama spoke to Cuomo and de Blasio Thursday night and offered the federal government’s support. He asked them to stay in close touch with Ron Klain, his “Ebola czar,” and public health officials in Washington, Associated Press reports.
Also, New York Times reports stated that, three people Spencer had contact with since returning to the U.S. were to be quarantined and monitored. None were yet showing symptoms of Ebola. Of the three, one is in isolation in the hospital, said Bassett. CNN reports that this person is Spencer’s fiancee, who was identified as Morgan Dixon by The New York Times. A person briefed on the investigation said that it was unclear whether the other two contacts would isolate themselves in their homes or if they would be relocated by authorities.
Bassett further disclosed that the “Uber driver who transported Spencer Wednesday night is not considered at risk because he did not have direct contact with the doctor.” The driver had also disclosed to some health officials that there was no direct contact between Spencer and other passengers through the duration of the trip.
It was also learnt that Spencer who is a member of Doctor Without Borders, a group dedicated to saving lives maintained that he was full clad in his wears during the treatment of the Ebola patients.
