By Carlo Valladares
News Editor
When Dr. Craig Spencer, a physician who traveled to Guinea to help those diagnosed with Ebola, tested positive for the same disease on Thursday, Oct. 23, New York had their first official case of Ebola, and LIU Post responded.
“Long Island University remains dedicated to the health and wellness of our campus communities, as we are proactive in our efforts to protect students, faculty, staff, and guests from infectious diseases and other serious health threats,” a mass LIU information email explained, informing the campus of the Ebola threat in New York City. “LIU continues to monitor the Ebola situation as it develops, and while the likelihood of a campus outbreak is extremely small, we are taking measures to ensure that our current health policies continue to be highly effective and communicated in an efficient, precise manner.”
According to the same mass message, which was sent out on Oct. 24, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a level three warning on travel advisories, and recommend that people avoid non-essential travel to Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone at this time, and “that education-related travel to these countries be postponed until further notice due to the ongoing outbreak of the Ebola virus.”
Dr. Spencer’s timeline after arriving at Kennedy International airport on Oct. 17 has been met with heavy criticism, mostly through social media. However, in remarks said on Oct. 24, even New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo feels that Dr. Spencer should have behaved as if under quarantine. According to an Oct. 25, New York Times article on page A17 of the New York edition, Spencer rode multiple subway trains and attended a bowling alley in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Lastly, the mass LIU email reassured the recipients that if you have not traveled to one of these countries in the past 21 days, or have not been in contact with someone diagnosed with Ebola, it is unlikely that you have the disease. According to cdc.gov, since March 2014, there are 5,481 laboratory reported cases of the virus.
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