Hamilton Heights residents were restless Friday afternoon after news that one of their neighbors tested positive for the Ebola virus became public.
On Thursday morning, Dr. Craig Spencer had been removed from his apartment. He is currently being treated at Bellevue Hospital after reporting “Ebola-like” symptoms including nausea, pain and fatigue. The 33-year-old doctor recently returned home after serving a tour in Liberia with Doctors Without Borders, treating patients afflicted with the virus.
New York Mayor Bill De Blasio, flanked by Governor Andrew Cuomo and NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker, held a press conference Thursday night in an effort to tamp down misinformation and quell public fears.
In no uncertain terms Mayor De Blasio assured New Yorkers that “there is no cause for alarm,” going on to say that “Ebola is an extremely hard disease to contract.” Reiterating throughout that, “it can only be contracted through direct contact through blood or other bodily fluids. It cannot be transmitted through casual contact.”
These words did little to assuage the anxiety many of Dr. Spencer’s neighbors are currently experiencing.
Ricardo Lawrence, who lives directly across the hall from Dr. Spencer, feels the responses of his fellow neighbors are overblown but understandable.
“A few people left… I’m not entirely sure where they went,” Lawrence said.
When asked how he felt about the response from Health officials following the positive diagnosis Mr. Lawrence stated that the only information neighbors initially received came solely from the media. He went on to say that the only information he got from the Health Department was from a card slipped underneath his door.
“For people who were already panicked that’s not enough information for them to deal with. There was no physical presence to ask those questions,” a frustrated Spencer said.
In response to Mayor De Blasio’s assurance that Dr. Spencer’s apartment was immediately sealed off, Mr. Lawrence accused the Mayor of spreading false information saying “That’s what pissed me off! They never sealed off the door, it’s still not sealed off.”
As of press time, the Department of Health (DOH) has released a statement saying;
“We do not believe there are any bodily fluids in the apartment because the patient reported no vomiting or diarrhea. Our contractor will clean and disinfect out of an abundance of caution, they will throw away bed linens, towels, toiletries, food in the fridge as well as garbage. They will wipe down hard, frequently touched surfaces with disinfectant and once they are finished DOH will inspect and certify that the apartment is okay to enter.”