With a confirmed case of Ebola in the United States’ most densely populated city, a UNF student is getting a close-up look at the aftermath of the diagnosis.
Craig Spencer, physician who returned from treating Ebola patients in Guinea, tested positive for Ebola in New York, N.Y. on Oct. 23, according to a New York Times (NYT) article.
The same article says NY Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke at a conference on Oct. 23 to reassure New Yorkers 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,” de Blasio said.
Annie Black, communications senior at UNF, has seen the NYC Ebola scare first hand – she is in New York at the annual College Music Journal** (CMJ) conference.
According to the NYT, Spencer’s timeline shows he was at a bowling alley called The Gutter on Oct. 22. The Gutter cancelled a CMJ Showcase scheduled for Oct. 23 and tweeted the next day that they were in contact with the Health Department and determined there was no danger to customers.
Photo by Annie Black
Black said she didn’t know about the Ebola case in NYC until the night of Oct. 23, when she received text messages telling her about it and asking if she was alright.
According to the NYT timeline, Spencer rode the Brooklyn-bound L train on Oct. 22. Black said she also rode the Brooklyn-bound L between midnight and 2 a.m. of that night.
UNF has contacted Black to advise her that she can go to the nearest health department where she can be tested for Ebola, if she wants to. As of now, she doesn’t.
“[On the L train was] the only time I believe that I could have been in the same vicinity as him, if at all,” Black said.
Black measured her temperature on Oct. 24 at noon and did not have a fever. She said she doesn’t see it as necessary to get tested because she has no symptoms and doesn’t think it’s worth worrying about.
Black said John Timpe, Spinnaker advisor, contacted her on Oct. 24 and advised* she take the precaution of staying in her room till she could confirm she did not have a high temperature, one of the first symptoms of Ebola.
“I’m not concerned based on the facts, I’m just concerned because Ebola is scary,” Black said. “I don’t think that it’s anything to worry about. I’ve been told to take my temperature throughout the day just to be sure that I don’t have it… As of now, I don’t have it. I probably will not ever have it.”
Black said she will continue to measure her temperature as a precaution.
Email Lydia Moneir at news@unfspinnaker.com
* 10/24/14 at 4:20 p.m. – Clarification made to the nature of Timpe’s advice.
** 10/24/14 at 4:26 p.m. – Correction made to name.
