My dog’s vet and I were discussing this today. She has been doing a lot of studying of ebola, since animals are thought to be the vectors of the disease that has transferred to humans.
She was furious with the doctor in NYC, who, upon arrival from a country where he was treating ebola patients, he proceeded to do a veritable odyssey of NYC, eating out, riding in cabs and public transportation, bowling, and God-knows-what else during the designated incubation period of this nasty disease.
Even people with the common cold know that they are spreading germs around, and flu victims are advised to stay home to avoid infecting other people.
Why would a DOCTOR do such a thing? Would it have been so difficult to stay home and watch TV for three weeks until he knew he was either sick or not?
I just don’t understand it.
But heck, I’m just a Bass player, so what do I know?
You are absolutely correct. I haven’t been able to understand either why he felt so free to come and go once he arrived back in NYC. He apparently was with his girlfriend also who is reported to be quarantined now.
I also want to know just why a health care provider hasn’t taken precautions enough NOT to come in contact with bodily fluids. I don’t believe that is the only way it is spread as certainly there can’t be that many ignorant health care workers not to take adequate precautions...
I don't know this man's psychological makeup, but if he stayed home and watched TV, even if he showed no signs of Ebola, he would undoubtedly have developed some kind of "cabin fever," undoubtedly rather depressing for what seems to be ordinarily a very active individual.
And if he did that, he obviously would need to enlist the services of others to supply him with basic needs, so there would still be some risk of transmitting disease.
Will what he did in the six days in NYC have caused other cases of Ebola? My guess is that the fiancée is at pretty high risk, but others aren't. We'll know more in the next few weeks, I suppose.