NYC Ebola Patient In Serious But Stable Condition
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New York City's first Ebola patient remains hospitalized at Bellevue Hospital in serious but stable condition.
On day five in the isolation unit, doctors said Dr. Craig Spencer is still showing symptoms of the virus and having gastrointestinal problems.
"The patient looks better than he looked yesterday, but his condition continues to be serious but stable," said Health and Hospitals Corp. President Dr. Ram Raju.
NYC Ebola Patient In Serious, But Stable Condition
This weekend, Spencer received blood from Nancy Writebol, who was who was successfully treated for Ebola in Atlanta back in August. Mayor Bill de Blasio visited with Spencer on Sunday and said, too, the patient was "looking better."
Spencer became the city's first Ebola patient last Thursday after testing positive for the disease.
Spencer returned to New York after treating Ebola patients in Guinea with Doctors Without Borders. He arrived at John F. Kennedy Airport, passing the extensive CDC screening process.
According to a timeline provided by city officials, before Spencer fell ill, he went to the High Line park and to The Meatball Shop restaurant on Greenwich Avenue last Tuesday, Basset said. He also went to Blue Bottle Coffee on the High Line.
Last Wednesday, he went on a 3-mile jog along Riverside Drive and later took an Uber taxi to a Brooklyn bowling alley.
He also rode the subway several times — the A train, the No. 1 train and the L train.
The bowling alley, The Gutter in Williamsburg, was completely disinfected this weekend and is back open for business. So is The Meatball Shop after getting a thorough cleaning.
City leaders, including the mayor and health commissioner, made their presence known at the restuarant letting the public know it's safe.
"There was no possibility of body fluids contact here at this restaurant. That's why it's open for business, that's why we're sitting here," said Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett.
On Friday, Spencer's Hamilton Heights apartment was decontaminated. His fiancee has not tested positive and is showing no symptoms of Ebola but is still being kept under quarantine at the couple's home.
"She will not be leaving the apartment," said DEP Commissioner of Health Dr. Jay Varma. "We will verify she will not be leaving the apartment. Only case workers are allowed inside. They're checking on her daily, giving her food and supplies and looking for possible symptoms."
Ebola has a 21-day incubation period.
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