The Ebola epidemic is raging far away in West Africa, but fear of the deadly virus has reverberated around the world. The death in Dallas of the first person ever diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S. brought the fear that much closer to home. New York City's dense population, large immigrant community and status as one of the most visited places for travelers makes it seem like a perfect candidate for an Ebola outbreak. So, how prepared are city officials... and New Yorkers? WNYC gathered some answers:
How likely is it that New York City will see a confirmed case of Ebola?
Dr. Jay Varma, Deputy Commissioner for Disease Control at the NYC Health Department, said the city is under constant risk until the crisis in West Africa is addressed. But he also said he's confident that our hospital and public health system is ready to handle Ebola.
I've heard passengers from West Africa will be screened at JFK and Newark Liberty Airports? How effective is this method?
An infectious disease expert, Dr. Aileen Marty of Florida International University, said screening passengers for fever at airports like JFK and Newark is not adequate because travelers may arrive with no symptoms. She told WNYC's Brian Lehrer: "At best, temperature screening at our airports is only going to detect those individuals who happen to become symptomatic sometime during the flight and/or at arrival at a U.S. airport. It will still miss individuals who are incubating the disease." Dr. Marty said it would be nice if someone would develop a smartphone app to track passengers for symptoms for 21 days, the incubation period for the Ebola virus.
What if someone with Ebola slips through the cracks at the airport?
Dr. Varma acknowledged that people could lie on their questionnaire about their travels or not show symptoms at the moment they're checked for fever, but he said the key to New York City's response is the readiness of its hospitals. Following a meeting with many city agency and federal officials, Mayor Bill de Blasio called the city's health care professionals and institutions "the finest" in the world and its health department "the envy of the nation [and] the world."
If a passenger at JFK airport shows signs of Ebola, what happens?
Bellevue is the go-to for any passenger with Ebola symptoms flagged at JFK. The city has arranged for FDNY ambulances to transport them there. As the city's oldest hospital, Bellevue has long been a destination for New Yorkers with infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis. Dr. Ross Wilson, the Chief Medical Officer of the Health and Hospitals Corporation, said the hospital has a dedicated isolation area specifically designed for Ebola patients. It has also prepared four other rooms to treat them.
What about other hospitals throughout the city?
Dr. Varma said every hospital in the city has the ability to isolate patients. All they need is a private room and bathroom. Also, the city's public hospital system has been slipping 'plain-clothes patients' into emergency rooms to see how quickly the proper Ebola response is triggered. They are paid actors or other staff members, and no one in the ERs — including supervisors — knows who they are or when they're showing up. Dr. Wilson said the simulated patients only appear mildly ill, and it's up to the front-line staff to ask the right questions and jump into action. Wilson is hopeful drills like these reduce the chances of miscommunication, like the one that led a Dallas hospital to discharge a man who apparently told nurses he had traveled to Liberia.
What if a person infected with Ebola is in a crowded place, such as the subway, a public housing complex or Times Square?
Dr. Varma emphasized that the only way to become infected is to come in direct contact with the body fluids of someone carrying the virus. Sharing an elevator, stairwell, or lobby with an Ebola carrier won't result in transmission of the disease. Varma said the greatest challenge in New York won't be managing a large number of people possibly exposed to Ebola, but the fear that surrounds it.
Still, I'd rather be safe than sorry. How can I protect myself? Hand sanitizer?
Commissioner Varma said hand sanitizer is a good idea. It can reduce the risk of being infected with Ebola, not to mention all the respiratory infections people are much more likely to encounter this time of year, such as the flu.